New Town has embraced the commercial bike service that was launched on March 16. For now, only one company is on the road with its fleet of 25 two-wheelers. And they are finding enough takers.

In the first four days of operation, K Bike Taxi had 3,000-plus downloads of their app. “As an introductory offer we’re giving free rides to all first-time users and 60 to 65 people have been availing of the free rides every day,” says Imran Mustafa, co-founder-director of the service. 

Most users have been IT sector employees, headed to campuses like Eco Space and Unitech and students of universities like Amity and Aliah. “Some are pre-booking rides such that they get picked up at, say, 9am every morning. Those who do not have the app have been dialling our number to book rides,” says Mustafa, who himself has been making a few trips a day to ascertain the level of service.

Customer feedback, he says, has been good. “A lady I picked up from DLF and dropped at the Shapoorji Pallonji complex was delighted to cover the distance in seven minutes and at Rs 27. She said she usually spends Rs 45 to get home,” says Mustafa.

The sporadic rains last week were a damper and the company is planning to get raincoats for passengers before the monsoons. Passengers are being handed a disposable cap to wear under the helmet for reasons of hygiene. 

There should be no risk of speeding as a speed limit of 40km per hour has been fixed on the accelerator. “We will also check driver antecedents and have a panic button on the app,” said Mustafa. The transport secretary has suggested that a panic button also be installed on the bike itself as pillion-riders would find it difficult to press the button on the app while riding a bike.

The company is speaking to Honda to fit panic buttons on the next batch of bikes that should be delivered in April. Their 25 existing bikes will also get the buttons, as per the transport secretary’s suggestion.

“Bike taxis are already a success in Goa and Gurgaon. We expect it to work well in New Town also,” said transport secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay. “We have worked hard to revise rules for converting a private vehicle to a commercial one. This will be a new horizon in last-mile connectivity.”

At the launch of the service at the Maidan, transport minister Suvendu Adhikari thanked Hidco chief Debashis Sen for the idea and the transport secretary for the execution. “New Town is a planned city. We want to develop it into a green city. People who go to work there as well as residents will reap the benefits of the service,” he said. 

One Man Taxi, another bike taxi service, is also expected to start services in New Town soon. “We also expect Uber to apply for a bike permit,” the secretary said.

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Have you taken a bike taxi yet or do you plan to take one? 
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