The public bicycle system (PBS) Trin Trin, which is undergoing a technological revamp, is partially live in Mysuru with the authorities deploying about 350 pedal assist cycles on a trial basis at 48 hubs.
Implemented by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), Trin Trin will be operationalised in Mysuru by Greenpedia Bike Share Pvt Limited, which has bagged the contract to run the PBS for five years.
The conventional bicycles, which were in operation since the last five years under the earlier PBS, will be replaced by pedal assist bicycles, which are designed to make the task of pedalling easier, while the hubs are also expected to be upgraded from the beam style docks to a dockless system with an Internet of Things (IoT)- based integrated locking system.
While sources in DULT said the revamped PBS had already completed one month of trial/pilot for testing the cycles successfully, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of MCC, S. Shushruth, who is the designated engineer in charge of the project, told The Hindu that the revamped PBS will be launched in two phases.
Under Phase 1, which is expected to be launched in about a fortnight, a total of 500 e-cycles will be made operational at 50 hubs. The work on operationalising Phase 1 of the project is likely to be completed in about a week’s time.
During Phase 2 of the project, all the 1,000 e-cycles and 100 hubs will be made operational, and the project will be fully live.
Meanwhile, Greenpedia Bike Share, the private operator has announced a pre-launch offer for subscribers, who download its MYBYK app. Once it is downloaded, the app is showing availability of the Trin Trin electric bicycles at the MYBYK hubs nearest to them.
Under the earlier PBS system, which wound up services with effect from March 23, 2023, a total of 500 conventional cycles were made available at 48 docking stations in the city.
Meanwhile, Mayor Shivakumar and MCC Commissioner Ashaad Ur Rahman said the date of the formal launch of the upgraded Trin Trin PBS will be announced shortly.
Till the earlier Trin Trin run by the previous operator was suspended in March, more than 17,000 people had registered themselves as members of the PBS by paying a refundable deposit of ₹250. The members of Trin Trin had the option of availing of short-term, medium-term, and long-term subscription packages ranging from as short as ten days to a year.
Meanwhile, officials said the construction of a dedicated cycle track of 8.72 k.m. with 100 percent financial assistance from DULT is expected to start soon.
Though PBS is operational in other cities of Karnataka like Tumakuru, Hubbali-Dharwad, Davangere etc, the brand name Trin Trin is in use only in Mysuru, the DULT officials said.
