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Smart bikes Gujarat
A young Chartered Accountant was pursuing his dreams in metro Mumbai when a turning point idea changed his life. Travelling in public transport was an everyday hardship Arjit Soni faced as he found the trains and buses overcrowded and time consuming. Like other people  in Mumbai, who could afford to shift, Arjit too decided to shift to the three-wheelers and taxis for a better commute. To his amuse he found that he was being over charged. A few days passed and the situation continued to be even more difficult. After talking to people he got to know that the reason for the high prices were the traffic and less of parking space. After research on this matter he thought of the  concept of bicycle leasing program which aimed to reduce traffic on road and provide affordable access to bicycles for easier trips in urban areas.

To kick start the idea, Arjit decided to implement this program at his native place, Ahmedabad in 2014. Though the business plan was structure, a big challenge before Arjit was, receiving funds and infrastructure support from private sector and government. A successful meeting with the then Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) Commissioner Mr. Guruprasad Mohapatra opened new ideas. The next meeting with the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Mr. Narendra Modi made plan approved and kicked the program into full gear.

Today AMC has offered to provide infrastructure support by providing free bicycle terminal area at the Janmarg BRTS corridors for next five years. A proposition from Hero Cycles Ltd to offer 1000 uniquely designed ‘unisex’ bicycles for the pilot project addressed another big hurdle. Funds from investors narrowed down the challenges and finally the program was launched in May, 2014 as MYBYK bike share program.

Challenges

The real challenge that lays ahead is the acceptance of this program by a larger crowd and availability of seed funds for program sustainability. The team is making efforts to educate and create awareness amongst the masses for promoting non-motorised transport and improve air quality in the city. The vision is clear which is to make Ahmedabad a livable city in coming years.