Last Mile Connectivity Redefined

 

The introduction of electric bike-sharing services such as Yulu or Bounce has come as a big relief to app-driven millennials and Generation Z in Bengaluru and metro cities. 

These platforms aim to provide college students and young professionals, who commute by bus or metro, with vital last-mile connectivity from bus stands and metro stations to their homes and offices.

However, thanks to the Indian jugaad mentality, the users have discovered that the utility value of these diminutive battery-driven cycles goes way beyond the stated objective of last-mile connectivity. They began using it for joyrides, and short-haul errands and novice two-wheeler riders found the low-seated Yulu bikes were a good way to hone their balancing skills, as they can always put down their feet if things go wrong. 

While riding these bikes safety takes a back seat. Hardly any of the riders wear a helmet and many of them appear to be underage for a driving licence. In the hands of some overweight riders, these bikes appear like beasts of burden.  

Moreover, these bikes, especially the Yulu ones, appear so frail that even a minor collision with autorickshaws could lead to loss of life. They also lack other safety features such as indicators or rear-view mirrors that could help them avoid getting knocked down from the rear. Due to their small size, they do not meet the eye levels of bigger vehicles and run the risk of being trampled upon by burly trucks.

But despite all these shortcomings, these bikes are getting popular by the day and caught the fancy of startups looking to reduce their carbon footprint. Food delivery aggregators like Swiggy and Zomato, and quick commerce firm Dunzo have also decided to hitch a ride with Yulu, to improve their carbon footprint. This has led to an exponential increase in the number of Yulu vehicles, and delivery boys often lug out their voluminous bags onto these tiny bikes during their distribution rounds.

However, this proliferation of bikes has given rise to a host of problems, both for the companies and residents. The companies face the challenge of misuse, theft, and vandalism. 

They claim some users park bikes in a wayward manner at flyovers, footpaths, and residential areas, with total disregard to road discipline and civic sense. For the companies, it is a challenge to locate the parked bikes using GPS and related tracking technologies. Their recovery trucks have to travel long distances to find and collect the bikes. 

For many residents, these bikes are a nuisance as they often get abandoned by unscrupulous users right next to their doorstep. Though companies claim they penalize users who park bikes away from designated spaces, the menace continues.

In fact, in Bengaluru wherever you go, you are never away from an abandoned Yulu or Bounce bike. Recently there was even a social media post of a Yulu bike found in a lake bed in Bengaluru when it was getting cleaned up!

Another major challenge is theft. Though the companies have technology in place to prevent someone from stealing a bike in toto, they still have to contend with thefts of parts such as batteries, tyres, and headlights. Companies often end up spending crores to replace the missing parts and file numerous cases in police stations. 

But despite all these shortcomings, electric bike shared mobility platforms offer a welcome relief from haggling with auto drivers or a long wait for buses for last-mile connectivity. 

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