After cars, bike pooling takes off in crowded Pune

After cars, bike pooling takes off in crowded Pune

PUNE: Long wait in traffic queues is a constant problem across the city and commuters are facing a lot of issues because of it. Increase in fuel prices, air pollution and lack of proper public transport are adding to commuters’ woes. These problems led to car pooling few years back and now, bike pooling has also started. In a city like Pune, where travel distance is not usually more than 15 km, people prefer bike pooling. It is becoming a more popular choice among people, as it saves time and is cost-effective. A lot of IT professionals travelling towards Hinjawadi prefer bike pooling to commute to work.

With the increasing demand for bike pooling, platforms like SRide and Gogreenryde are gaining popularity among working professionals, as they connect people travelling on same route at the same time. These platforms help in identifying the ride matches, connect the riders, communicate and share the costs of travelling. These apps are popular among working professionals across India, as it gives them a comfortable, safe and cost effective ride.

“Our app Gogreenryde provides both car-pooling and bike-pooling since 2016 and more than 50 per cent of the users in Pune prefer bikes, as it is more easier to travel and also cost effective,” said Raj Dubel, CEO, Greentin Solutions Pvt Ltd. He further said, “The response for bike pooling is 

enormous in Pune, as there are more bike owners than cars. In Pune’s traffic situation, bikes take less time and are convenient to travel.”

Co-founder and CEO of SRide Lakshna Jha said, “In comparison to other cities where normal travel distance is 30 to 40 km, in Pune people normally travel 10 to 15 km everyday for work.  Thus, because of less distance, bike pooling is more popular than car pooling. There is no doubt that there are more bikes than cars, and it is quicker and more convenient than cars, as it take less time in traffic, so people prefer bikes over cars.”

IT professional Ashish Suman, who travels everyday from Wakad to Hinjawadi, finds car pooling/ bike pooling apps as a very convenient platform that facilitate a comfortable travel. He said, “In Pune, traffic is really bad and the condition of public transport is worst, thus pooling is the best option for daily commuters like us.” He further added, “I prefer to pool a bike, as it is more cost effective and also saves time especially in the morning when you have to reach your office on time.”

Ganesh Autade, an IT professional, who travels from Katraj to Hinjawadi, finds pooling cost effective and convenient to travel. He said, “In a city like Pune, where public transport is not really much developed and traffic is a mess, pooling is the best option for commuting, as it is convenient and cheap.” He further added, “In traffic of Hinjawadi, if you are travelling by car, there are chances that you might get stuck in traffic jam for hours but with bikes, you can travel more easily as it doesn’t consume much space like cars.”

Senior Police Inspector Kishore Mhaswade, in-charge of Hinjawadi traffic division, said, “I have heard about bike pooling and it will definitely help in reducing traffic on road but safety of the commuters should not be jeopardised, as you do not know the person with whom you are travelling. Women’s safety can also be at stake with bike pooling and car pooling.” 

“It is very important to see that whether these bike pooling platforms follow all the legal procedures of RTO or not. If they adhere by all rules and regulations without compromising the safety of passengers, we have no problems with such things,” he added.

JUXTAPOSITION
- IT professional Ashish Suman said, “In Pune, traffic is really bad and the condition of public transport is worst, thus pooling is the best option for daily commuters like us.”
- However, police say safety of the rider could be jeopardised. 

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