Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday launched India’s first public bicycle sharing (PBS) initiative — Trin Trin — in Mysuru.
A short video detailing various aspects of Trin Trin and a mobile app were also released on the occasion.
While more than 600 cities across the world were already providing bicycles as a commuting option, a number of cities in India including Bengaluru were planning to adopt the public bicycle sharing system.
However, Mysuru, a cultural and heritage city with a population of 12 lakh people, was the first city in India to have a public bicycle sharing system, he added.
A total of 450 bicycles can be borrowed from 48 docking stations set up across the City for a nominal fee. The users, however, have to be registered as members by paying Rs 350 that also includes a refundable deposit and obtain a smart card by swiping which they can take out a bicycle from the docking station.
Mr. Siddaramaiah, who himself pedalled the bicycle around Sri Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar Circle during the launch, expressed scepticism over the quality of the bicycles.
Pointing out that the bicycles were suitable for users below 30 years of age, he urged the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), which is implementing the project along with Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), to replace the bicycles with ones that were more comfortable to the users.
Mr. Siddaramaiah also recalled his high school and pre university days when he used cycle around Mysuru and also to his village Siddaramanahundi, which is about 22 kms from the city, during weekends.
