The concept of rent-a-bicycle has taken the world by storm. We have seen it in London, New York, Amsterdam, and across the globe in several environment-conscious cities. Finally, app-based cycle sharing service is here in the City of Joy.
Self-drive car rental company, Zoomcar, has recently launched PEDL, an app-based initiative that promises to bring green revolution in urban Kolkata by reducing the city’s carbon footprint through a smart, environmental-friendly cycle sharing service.
Modelled on the overseas format of rent a bicycle, PEDL has set up bicycle stations at strategic locations in Salt Lake Sector 5 and the New Town Rajarhat area of Kolkata, where people can pick up and drop off their cycles. The bikes are available for a few hours, a day, or for a month, at cheap rates, based on the user’s needs.
Already the newest buzz for fitness freaks, PEDL’s swanky, fluorescent-green coloured GPS-tracked smart cycles are also making the Kolkata commoners increasingly curious. This has helped the cycle sharing company grow, which now has a fleet of 400+ counting. To add velocity to the revolution, the New Town Kolkata Development Authority is planning to build dedicated bicycle tracks to ensure safer rides.
How Does PEDL Work?
Download the Zoomcar app on your smartphone, and link a Paytm account to it. That’s it! You are ready to zip-zap-zoom.
Now tap the Zoomcar application, and choose the PEDL option. This will open a map showing the nearest PEDL station, along with directions to get there.
Once you are at any of the PEDL stations, use the application to scan the QR Code on the rear mudguard of the bicycle. This will provide you with a “select unlock” option. Tap on it, and you are good to go. The rear-wheel lock of the smart cycle will open automatically, triggering the timer in the app.
Else, you can simply walk up to a PEDL station, pay via Paytm, and pick up a cycle. When you are done, drop off the bike at any PEDL location according to your convenience.
Where Can I Find the PEDL Stations?
Though PEDL has huge expansion plans lined up, the company is currently operating in Kolkata’s Salt Lake Sector 5 and New Town Rajarhat sector. The bicycles are stationed at 60 locations across three main action centres, namely, the Unitech bus stop, Eco Park, Rabindra Tirtha, and at the Nazrul Tirtha crossing in front of DLF Tower. The stations can be easily identified by its bright signage, kiosk, and the image of a cycle painted on the pavement. The PEDL station adjacent to Mother’s Wax Museum attracts a significant number of bicycle enthusiasts.
There are also quite a number of stations in Salt Lake Sector 5 and these can be easily located in the app.
More About the New Ride in Town
The next-generation PEDL smart cycles come with a variety of unique features, including custom-designed alloy frame, drum brakes, height adjustable seats, solid airless tyres, anti-slip chains, solar battery charging unit, alarms, and built-in smart locks, which can be accessed and unlocked using a QR Code. The bike’s high-grade aluminium frame ensures intensive use for over 24 months.
The PEDL IoT stack, which is an extension of Zoomcar’s leading-edge Cadabra IoT platform, includes real-time GPS tracking that enables easy monitoring of bicycles hitting the road.
What Are You Waiting For? Take a ‘Green’ Ride!
Zoomcar’s PEDL cycle sharing service is ideal for local use cases, such as short-distance commuting, grocery shopping, and errand running. The app-based service offers end users a flexible mode of transport that is cheaper, more convenient, and most importantly, highly environmental-friendly.
Sanyukta Mitra, a third-year engineering student, uses PEDL to shuttle between her home and college. She saves Rs.60 a day while playing her part in ensuring a cleaner, greener, pollution-free Kolkata. Even if you don’t live in New Town, taking a ride on PEDL through the clean and green stretches of Kolkata’s ‘smart city’ can be a great way to spend a weekend evening. Plus, New Town has some cool recreational spots like Eco Park, Rabindra Tirtha, and Mother’s Wax Museum, too.
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[…] people can save fuel as well as reduce the amount of emissions. You can also avail options like PEDL — an app-based cycle sharing service — instead of taking a bus or taxi. These small measures, […]