Srinagar, December 09: First and foremost, a group of young Kashmiris is planning to operate 200 electric bicycles under ‘Curve Electric’ along various routes in Srinagar, in collaboration with Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL).
Speaking to reporters at the launch of electric bicycles, managing director and co-founder of ‘Curve Electric’ Sheikh Yameen said it took them a long time to persuade people of the whole idea of making e-bikes in Srinagar. He believes that these cycles will provide an alternative mode of transportation for Srinagar commuters.
He said that despite the cold weather, the inaugural function received an overwhelming response from the young people, and he is expecting there will be an energetic response from the people as these electric bicycles provide them an alternative in congested areas. The aim of launching these bicycles was to give our contribution to controlling pollution in Srinagar city. We are estimating that around 750 metric tonnes of carbon would be saved by this venture in a single year.
According to Yameen, they have been given authorization by the authorities to operate 200 e-bikes, and they will start to appear on the streets soon. The first 50 e-bikes will be placed at 12 docking stations around the city, and the remaining 200 will be put on city roads in a few weeks, he said.
He said they have set up docking at many locations in Srinagar, which include Dalgate, Illahi Bagh, Soura, TRC, Kothi Bagh, Raj Bagh, Sanat Nagar, Islamia College, the Botanical Garden, Nishat, Kashmir University, and Bemina, to name just a few of the locations where the docking stations are being installed.
He said that the e-bikes are technologically advanced, GPS-enabled, and have a top speed of 25 km/h. These battery-powered bikes have a 55-kilometer range per charge.
The bike is entirely Indian and will be able to travel approximately 60 kilometers on a single charge. The bicycle will be GPS-enabled, allowing us to track the rider at all times. In addition, if any rider tries to tamper with the battery, we will receive an alert on our mobile phones. We can also remotely turn off its battery if any suspicious movement is detected. Considering the weather in Kashmir Valley, we installed MTB tyres on bicycles that can be used in all types of snow.
In order to utilize the service, a traveler first provides both their phone number and Aadhar card, according to the Head of Operations. Thereafter, they only need to provide their phone number.
According to the operation head, customers will be paid 0.90 rupees per minute, and payments must be made at the docking station in either online or offline mode. However, leaving the e-bikes on the roadside is not enjoyable because nobody commutes at night. Our E-Autos will pick them up to guarantee the security of the E-bikes.
He claims that everyone is welcome to use the bikes. Although it is unisex, we added some feminine colors to honor the contribution that women cyclists make.
It is expected that the trip will be safe, saving the environment as well as time, money, and effort. “We want to make it a sort of transportation, and people ought to use it frequently.”
It is important to note that cycling has grown in popularity among young people in recent years, and people of all ages enjoy riding their bikes. The trend in Kashmir gained popularity post-COVID-19.
