Delhi’s New Public Cycle Rental System Is A Breath Of Fresh Air

While quality of life declines and air pollution levels rise to startling levels, it seems Delhi’s public officials and citizens are finally realising that being environmentally friendly is an urgent and necessary step towards creating a cleaner, greener future. There have been efforts made recently in the national capital worth noticing, including the polemic plastic ban in the NCR region, Delhi’s Tree Ambulance and even the startup growing organic farms across the city’s roofs and balconies. Adding to the list of eco-friendly initiatives is the Bicycle Public Sharing system by the eco company Greenolution and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Working together, theirs is another shot at curbing and improving the capital’s polluted environment, while providing a solution to its chaotic traffic.

Actually, Delhi is one of the greenest cities in the country, with 20 percent of its area covered by forests. The capital is also home of India’s first certified sustainable eco-house, and the crowded Metro is an ecological milestone – It’s the first rail system in the world to earn carbon credits, saving the city six lakh tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year and taking almost four lakh vehicles off the streets.

Following the current trend, this idea of the sharing scheme first emerged in Amsterdam, and quickly spread as a viable way of conscious transport.Today, bicycle sharing centres are seen in more than a thousand cities worldwide.

To rent a bike from DMRC, you’ll need an original ID and a valid telephone number. During the summer, the bicycles are available from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM through along the week, and from 9:00 AMto 4:00 PM on Sundays. The facilities close one hour earlier ion the winter, and no cycles are issued prior closing time.

The rate is only INR 10 rupees per hour, and you can drop the bike at any of the seven registered stations. Cheaper and faster than most of the city’s usual transport methods, the service is perfect for short and medium distances, avoiding the constant traffic jams and overpriced auto-rickshaws.

With a constantly rising number of people, traffic and air pollution, efficient solutions like these need to be of top priority. You can find more information about Greenolution and the full list of bicycle shelters in the project’s official website – just make sure the bell works, and go hit the streets!

Feature image photographed by Lucas Batista.