Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated the much anticipated India’s first Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) system ‘Trin Trin’ in Mysuru and said that the same system will be introduced in Bengaluru this year.

After inaugural function, Siddaramaiah himself went out on a ride around Jayachamarajendra Circle and recalled his own school days when he used to ride about 22 km from his village to reach the school.

Speaking after inaugurating the PBS system in front of Jayachamarejendra Wadiyar circle he said “Though Mysuru growing rapidly. The city which has got 12 lakh populations is having 6.5 lakh vehicles. As the vehicles increases, the pollution will also increase and there will also be traffic problems. That’s the reason 600 cities across the world including cities like Paris (Velib), London (Santander bikes), Mexico City (Ecobici), Hangzhou, China and Belgium have been successful in popularizing PBS for commuting,” he said adding that along with Mysuru, other Indian cities Bhopal, Jaipur, Delhi, Thane, Pune, Chennai, Bhubaneshwar and Chandigarh are planning on adopting PBS system. Mysuru city would be one of the foremost cities to commission city-level fully automated PBS system in India. Day by day the vehicles are increasing hence eco friendly vehicles is very much need of the hour.

The CM said that though the initiative looks very good the present bicycles which are being kept at docking centre are not comfortable for those above 40 years.

“The cycles should be on the lines of rally cycles. Proper public utility bicycles should be provided. Hence in this regard 100 of the existing cycles could be kept aside for youngsters while the remaining could be replaced with quality and comfortable cycles” said Siddaramaiah.

More about Trin Trin and how it works

The number of registered vehicles in Mysore city as on 2017 is 6.5 lakhs. It is seen that there is an increase in the use of personal vehicles. The Comprehensive Traffic and Transportation Plan (CTTP) prepared for Mysuru has projected that in the absence of a strategy focused on improving public transport and Non-motorized transport (NMT) like cycling and walking, the situation in the city would further worsen. The Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) prepared a plan for implementation of Public Bicycle Sharing System in Mysuru. The PBS system is having 450 bicycles (430 normal and 20 geared cycles) and 48 docking stations at major tourist destinations, universities and offices. The docking stations are automated and users can use a smart card to take cycles from one docking station and return the cycle at any other docking station. On return of the cycle a nominal user fee would be deducted from the smart card. Trin Trin PBS system is the state government project which is partially funded by the World Bank under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant. The project was kick started in January 2016 and was supposed to be launched before Dasara last year but got delayed since the docking stations could not be set up on time, owning to the Cauvery agitation and also due to election code of conduct. The system is aimed at promoting non-motorized means of transport and reduces traffic and pollution levels in the city. Although the MCC will have ownership of the bicycles used for the scheme, the project will be operated by Green Wheel Ride, a Mysuru based manufacturer of Eco-friendly bicycles. The total cost of the project amounts to Rs 20.5 crore, the initial investment comes nearly to Rs 8 crore, with the remaining funds being earmarked for operation and maintenance for the next six years.

The visitors to the city or any public can purchase the short membership card at six registration centres-RTO, Zoo, KSRTC bus stand, City bus stand, Palace and Mysuru Railway Station by providing ID proof, which will help them to unlock the cycle at any 48 docking stations across the city. The other option available for tourist to is to pay Rs 95 and hire the bicycle for six hours. As part of security measures, each docking station is having CCTV cameras. If there is any break or damage in the docking station notification will go to concern members. A first-time user has to register at any of the registration centres or through the PBS App or through the website by one-time payment of Rs. 350 (including refundable security deposit of Rs. 250) and collect a smart card from the registration centres pre-loaded with usable value of Rs. 50. A user can then go any docking station, tap the smart card at the docking station port and take the cycle. As part of promotional offer, upto 1 hour it will be free while upto two hours the charges will be Rs 5, upto 3 hours it will be Rs 10, upto 12 hours 150 and greater than 12 hours it will be Rs 250. The cycles will be available from 6am to 10pm.