Pimple Saudagar Pimpri-Chinchwad Technologies Anand Gandhi Traffic congestion Recently, Pune’s IT corridor declared a huge shift towards cleaner transport initiatives by bringing various ecofriendly vehicles into its ambit — and now, it has emerged that just a little distance away,is soon to be the city’s first area to already get electric two-wheelers of its own.The project is slated to take off within the next one month, bringing at least 20 e-scooters with pick-up and drop-off facilities in the pilot phase to the fast-developing area ofThe scheme is the brainchild of a local corporator, who has said the facility will be both cost-effective and practical for commuters, besides controlling pollution while traversing small distances, at least initially in his ward.As the slow-speed scooters can run only up to 60 km on full charge (for which four or five hours are required), they will not require a license or registration to drive. At present, a space has been identified near Ganesham Society to station the vehicles sourced from the vendor Leapbike. In the pilot run, the e-scooters will be free of cost to use for the first 15 minutes, after which commuters will be charged Rs 1.50 per minute. Payments for the same have been made available via the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform while an Android mobile application will enable citizens to completely operate the vehicles (unlocking, starting and turning off), as also zero in on their presence near one’s location.Corporator Shatrughan alias Bapu Kate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) told Mirror, “I look forward to introducing a cuttingedge, pollution-free, value-for-money and convenient commuting solution in my area. Those dependent on autos or cab services for very short journeys could consider the e-scooter alternative going ahead, and we will ensure that busy stretches and large societies are selected to station the vehicles. Using bicycles is not possible for all, which is why this mechanised option makes sense. We also wanted to limit manual operations, so these e-scooters are largely app-operated.”He added, “Charging points will also be installed where the civic body’s share cycle stands are located at the moment, and at petrol pumps. We are also taking the help of Smart City officials for space near the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) station to put in place charging points and stands for our e-scooters. All of this will, hopefully, tackle pollution in our area, helping to make Pimple Saudagar cleaner and greener.”Agreed Leapbike Technologies founder Hardik Rijhwani, “Once the app is downloaded onto a user’s mobile phone, s/he can get a clear view of where the e-scooters are located and how much battery they have for the user to pick. For nearby destinations, existing modes of transport are not always viable or sustainable, commuters have expressed. They depend on fossil fuels, while e-scooters do not.”While appreciating the new option, several citizens were slightly cynical about its implementation. Said HR professional Sanchita Palande, who lives in the same area, “While it is a laudable move, the scheme has to be maintained in the long run. The public also must cooperate, unlike the vandalising of share bicycles we have seen over the last year. That should not happen to these e-scooters.”“Elderly folk will benefit a lot due to this facility, as many of them walk along the BRTS route in the evening. They could easily take an e-scooter from one point and drop it to another, and won’t have to carry their own vehicles or walk extra,” Palande added. Similarly, IT professionalsaid, “I have lived in Pimeple Saudagar for over 10 years now, and seen the area get highly populated.has risen by leaps and bounds in the last two years alone, to which cabs and autos contribute significantly. And so, pollution becomes inevitable. E-scooters will certainly help improve air quality in this radius.”

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