At a time when residents of Delhi are hoping for a workable solution for the next phase of the “odd-even” car rule from 15 April, the newly introduced bike taxis may well provide a breather.
After gaining popularity in Goa, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Gurgaon, bike taxis have made their debut in the national capital as well. Available for tariff as low as Rs 5 per km, they are emerging as the most convenient short-distance travel option for students and office-goers alike.
Bike-taxis, or motorcycle taxi service, have proved a popular and feasible mode of transportation in places like Brazil, China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. It is considered to be cheaper and more convenient for small distance routes.
OneRyder, a startup, launched its service in Delhi on 5 April. Aimed at providing efficient, last mile connectivity and smart transportation solutions, the bike-taxi service is planning to spread itself to the Delhi NCR region in the next few months and to other major metro cities in the country in about a year.
Another service provider, Promto has launched battery operated bikes with in-built GPS systems.
The two-wheeler electric bike-taxi service, which currently runs only from the Rajiv Chowk Metro station, is planning to open in four more locations within Delhi and add 60-80 bikes every month. It is also targeting to get another 30 bikes for the odd-even week, Chadha said.
Some of the other players around the capital include RideJi, UberMoto and Baxi.
However, some major issues still remain unresolved. Will such bikes need different number plates? Must these bikers be given a different category of licence? Will they have to pay commercial tax rates?
For the moment, however, the stakeholders said since all two-wheelers are exempted from the odd-even policy, during which cars can ply on odd-or-even days depending on the last digit of their registration, bike-taxis will certainly prove to be a convenient option.
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