Bengaluru: Absence of cycle tracks scare away city’s Trin Trin users

Bengaluru: The recently launched Namma Trin Trin, a public bicycle sharing (PBS) system, is drawing users, but many prefer to use it only for short distances due to lack of dedicated bicycle tracks in the city. Most users find it very risky to use cycles on main roads amid heavy traffic.

Many users also complained that as it is a mobile phone based app, no assistance is provided by the service providers in case of a technical glitch.

There are around 4,000 cycles on the road, provided by various service providers, but many users tend to give up after first use. They fear getting hit by vehicles while riding on main roads.

Keshav Sankalp, a techie, welcomed the move but felt much more needs to be done regarding the safety of cyclists. He said, “The DULT has provided the city with a great initiative, but the cycle tracks are missing, which makes it difficult for users. I have used PBS service and found that it was a good system to curb traffic congestion. But as I was riding I realised that it was dangerous as the motorists do not care about cyclists and chances of getting hit is high.”

“I also observed that people who travel short distances are using the PBS service. If the government starts working on cycle tracks, then PBS will be a more popular and it will encourage people to shun private vehicles,” Sankalp added.

Another regular user Suhas Rao, a college student, said, “I found the PBS convenient and light on the pocket, but the main problem is the technical glitches, as these are run through mobile phone applications. For example if the QR code does not work, then we have no one to assist. The service provider needs to deploy a person at every parking hub, so that there are no hassles.”

When one of the service providers was contacted, they said that they are working on deploying personnel at parking hubs to resolve such issues on the spot.