Shillong, Feb 5: The Meghalaya government’s much-vaunted e-bicycle sharing scheme, Ride Shillong, appears to have been all show and no substance given the number of bikes lying unused at their hub at the public parking lot opposite the State Bank of India main branch.
Thirteen bikes out of 20 (or 65 per cent) introduced by the state government are non-functioning.
The Ride Shillong Public Bicycle Sharing Scheme began in August last year to much state-sponsored fanfare. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, senior civil servant Vijay Kumar D and roped-in celebrity Milind Soman rode down from the parking lot to Khyndailad in a carefully stage-managed launch.
It was later rumoured that the bicycles used in the launch were not part of any government scheme but had been hired just for the occasion. There were also reports from members of the public that the app connected to the ride sharing scheme had functionality issues. Since the scheme launched, this reporter has not seen any bike under this scheme on the streets and there has been little in the way of promotion of Ride Shillong.
The initiative was supported by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in collaboration with GIZ India (the local arm of Germany’s development agency) under the Sustainable Urban Mobility project.
It aims to transform Shillong into a more walkable and cycle-friendly city with cleaner air and reduced traffic congestion. If the first few months is anything to go by, the scheme has not lived up to its billing.
The bike sharing scheme is also a component of the Shillong Urban Mobility Policy 2024, which targets achieving 35 per cent non-motorised and public transport-based mobility in the city.
Vehicles under a public scheme lying unused and in a broken down condition is not a new thing for Shillongites. There are several areas around the city where derelict buses under the Shillong Public Transport Service have been dumped and left to rust.
