Bicycle Sharing in Delhi - Clean Air Institute

Bicycle Sharing in Delhi-Users Evaluation ReportMarch 2010Sebastian SchlebuschInternGTZ-ASEM

Another interesting feature gets obvious from the following graphic. 49,7% of the userspossess a personal vehicle. 34,4% own a two-wheeler, 13,2% own a bicycle and 10,0% owna car. Moreover, 40,2% of all the users have either a two-wheeler, a car or both. 6vehicle possession100%80%60%40%noyes20%0%general tw ow heeler bicyclecar3.3 Trip profileAs the operation design does not (yet) allow for a flexible return at other stations, the originand destination location is the same with every trip. Nevertheless, the users were asked toprovide information about their destination before returning the bicycle at the station. Theywere also asked to tell the trip's purpose, the reason to chose the bicycle, the frequency ofrentals and how they got to know about the system.The figures show that, despite the very inflexible fare structure, 36% use the bicycles forcommuting purposes, either to work or to school/college. Besides 25,3% use it as a leisuretime travel mode. This resembles roughly the figure of people who consider cycling as fun(22,2%).Regarding the reason to rent a bicycle, 71,5% said that it is a convenient mode of travel.68,3% have chosen the cycle because it offers a cheap mobility solution. Considering therelatively low number (9,4%) of people, who mentioned that they did not have another choicethan renting a bicycle to reach their destination means, that most of the rental bicycle tripscan either be done by personal vehicles or by public transport, in this case by bus. 76The discrepancy between the addition of the figures of car and two-wheeler owners and 40,2% derives from the fact,that it is possible to own a car and a two-wheeler.7Multiple answers were possible for this question

The following map shows the BRT stretch between Moolchand and Ambedkar Nagar with alldestinations, who were mentioned by at least 4 different customers.BRT-CorridorMain directionsCycle rental stationsTrip destinations9,4% (16 trips)4,7% (8 trips)2,4% (4 trips)Source of Background Map:Eicher City Map Delhi 2008Scale 1:50.000

Another interesting aspect is, that 83% of all customers perceive the bicycle as the fastestavailable mode of transport to reach their destination.By renting a bicycle my trip was faster than any other mode of transport17%yesno83%3.4 User evaluation of the sharing systemAsked for their opinion about different elements of the bicycle sharing system the generalfeedback is very positive. None of the four elements asked for had less than 80% support.This positive feedback is highlighted by an overwhelming 99,4% positive respondents on thequestion whether they intend to rent a cycle again.Are the different elements convenient for You?10080%604020yesno0bicycle conditionopening timesfare structureprocedure

Will you rent a bicycle again?1%yesno99%Given this positive feedback, the project has already achieved to attract quite a few users whorent bicycles frequently. 44,6% of all respondents rent a bicycle at least once a week.frequency of use403020%100more than once a montheverydayfirst time4. ConclusionAlthough the project has been set up without a preliminary feasibility study, it can beconsidered successful among the users due to the very positive overall feedback.Furthermore it seems to be a socially inclusive project targeting people without own vehiclesas well as people owning private motorized vehicles. Especially due to high share of the later,

destinations mentioned by the users are within 5 km radius around the BRT stations, 30minutes are generally sufficient to cover this distance. Hence the average bicycle rentalduration should not exceed 30 minutes. That way it will be assured that the bicycles can beused continuously by different people. In order to achieve this objective the following stepsare recommended:− After establishing a network each station has to be equipped with a map showing thestation network's locations to inform users adequately about the return possibilities.− The fare structure has to be adjusted in a way that the cheapest initial fare possible will beprovided for the first interval of 30 minutes and an increasing fare for each additionalinterval. As the main source of revenue is advertisement, providing minimal or even gratisinitial time does not significantly affect the revenue side of the project.These are the absolutely necessary steps to enhance performance of the project and to bring asubstantial amount of people on bicycles. Besides there are steps to be taken up, which willsupport the general attitude towards cycling as a sustainable mode of transport. As thesurvey shows, there are already people from middle and upper middle income group who areusing these bicycles. To attract also those people, who are still reluctant to cycle, the bicyclesharing project has to become a benchmark for India. Deriving from international experienceof successful schemes, the following issues should be addressed.− The bicycles should have an easily identifiable design which addresses the desires of themain target group (young people). They should look sporty and cool but remain practical,safe and stable. A unique design also minimizes the danger of theft.− The comfort of the bicycles has to be world class to address car owners. Depending onprice and availability, possibilities of integrating height adjustable seats with quick releaseskewers, shockers and 3 gears should be explored.− To financially compensate for the higher costs of advanced bicycles, opportunities foradvertisement on the bicycle (on back tire mud covers & baskets) should be explored.− A brand label should be developed which is catchy and unique.− The project should be promoted among different channels (homepage, posters on busesand metro trains/stations, etc.)− The station attendants should be customer service orientated, encouraging people to usethe bicycles and providing a modern and positive atmosphere.

6. OutlookAfter the successful launch of 3 rd generation bicycle sharing systems 9 in several cities ofdeveloping countries 10 and the launch of the FreMo project in Thane 11 the time seems to beripe for implementing a world class system in India's capital. The user evaluation shows thatthere is a substantial potential for decongesting Delhi's roads by substituting short motorizedtrips by cycling. Yet, to ultimately reach this goal, implementing the above mentioned steps isonly one part of the solution. The development of a network of stations by a private operatorhas to be flanked by governmental efforts to improve cycling infrastructure in order to assurethe safety of cyclists.9ICT-based systems with fully automatised rental and return procedure10Mexico City, Rio De Janeiro, Wuhan, etc. For a full list see Http://bike-sharing.blogspot.com11Http://fremo.in