Bike-Sharing to Become a Reality in Delhi Soon, Thanks to Mobycy

Mobycy is working on docked bicycle sharing model that can be used by paying a nominal sum to hire bicycles.

Mobycy is starting the docked bike-sharing model in Delhi. 

(Photo: The Quint)

With pollution getting worse in Delhi, it seems bicycles are the next best option to tackle the situation. And the latest startup to enter the bike-sharing space is Mobycy, which has been founded by two people who have worked in the corporate sector, but now looking to deep dive into the supposed next big thing.

The company is starting off its services via docked bicycles, that’ll be made available in different parts of Delhi-NCR, and will expand to other parts of the city in the coming months.

The model adopted by Mobycy is similar to what Ola has done with its Pedal project, that piloted earlier this month. The docked bicycles come equipped with a QR code that lets you pay to hire the bicycle. Mobycy is charging a nominal fee of Rs 10 per hour, with Rs 999 security deposit for riders, and Rs 499 for students.

Also Read: Now Ola Lets You Pedal Your Way to Work With Cycle Renting Service

How to Rent Bikes on Mobycy

• Locate a bicycle on the app
• Scan via QR code to unlock the bike
• Put in your Aadhaar number, pay for ride
• You’re all set to go bicycle riding

The Mobycy works via app which is available to both Android as well as iOS users, and for IDing purpose, the company will ask for your Aadhaar number. When quizzed about the reason to opt for Aadhaar, Akash Gupta, Founder and CEO of Mobycy, had this to say;

Considering all telecom operators and banks have already adopted Aadhaar for ID purposes, we decided to start our venture by readying ourselves for the future, with Aadhaar. 

Akash Gupta, Founder and CEO of Mobycy

Scan QR on the app and unlock the bicycle. (Photo: The Quint)

Gupta claims Mobycy has been in the works for three-four years, and after heavy weightlifting, they’re all invested to make this model work. 

The initial phase (with 1,500 cycles) will be kickstarted with cycles that are being imported from China, but Gupta has confirmed that the next batch of cycles (3,500 to be precise) will be manufactured in the country itself.

He also claims that the bikes get rust-free finishing for a longer riding life, the tyres are tubeless and rugged to handle general wear and tear conditions.

Mobycy is looking to change the way bicycles are rented in the capital. (Photo: The Quint)

All this hype for docked bicycles will only work out if dedicated lanes are put in place by the government in different parts of the city.

And Gupta is quietly confident that with a big movement in the offing, the biking scenario in the country could finally get a much needed boost.

Globally, over 12 million bicycles have been put on the road, but more than 17 million made its way to China alone in the past year or so, according to Amit Bhatt, Director of Transport at WRI India.

However, bike-sharing seems to have hit an impasse in the Chinese market, so much that bicycles are lying under the swirl of dust across different corners. And he believes that India is the next big market for the trend to catch up.

Many Indian startups are betting on the space to explode, just the way Uber and Ola managed to breakthrough the rental cab sector in the country.

However, his optimism comes with a sound understanding of reality, where he points out that the government bodies have a big role to play, to get this segment up and running.

Another venture, Yulu, made similar moves in this space earlier this month, and their expectations chime with how Gupta sees the bike-sharing movement rolling on.

Also Read: Bike Sharing Startup Yulu Will Hit the Streets in a Month

Yulu bicycle.(Photo Courtesy: Nishant Sharma/BloombergQuint)

Gupta, who left the comfort of a corporate life at Airtel, Dell and recently Mobikwik, puts the onus on Ministry to make the right calls, starting off by offering 10-15 sq mt space, where the bikes can be docked.

The overall cost of setting up docked biking centre is low, maintenance will be borne by us. All we’re asking the government is to help us with basic physical space, and lanes to operate.

Akash Gupta, Founder and CEO of Mobycy

Bike-sharing is an untapped market in India for now, but both Gupta and Amit feel that the docking system, applied with machine learning and help from Google Maps geotagging ecosystem, could bring the change that our environment is crying for.

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