Ola rolls out bicycle service Ola Pedal on pilot basis

Ola, Bengaluru-based ride-hailing service company, on Friday said the company is rolling out bicycle service in various campuses on pilot basis in the city as part of green initiative.

According to company sources, the pilot initiative is to cover short distance. "Ola Pedal service is a quick, green and smart way to cover short distance. It will help in a city like Benglauru," said an official.

"Bicycles are a sustainable and efficient alternative for covering first and last mile mobility needs in our cities. With superior technology and available to book on the same Ola app, Ola Pedal will go a long way in solving larger issues like pollution and congestion in our cities, especially for short distance trips," states the company.

Ola Pedal will be India's first of its kind bicycle sharing service available on the Ola app and will be expanded later to all the cities where the company operates.

Recently, the company started piloting cycle rental service In IIT Kanpur that can be booked via its app.  

A startup technology analyst said the move will help customers ride a distinctly low-tech mode of transport.

"But it is very difficult to maintain this in a systematic way.  Wukong, a Chinese bike sharing startup,  had shut down its operation after 90% of its cycles were stolen within a few months," said the analyst.  

In IIT Kanpur, students were able to rent cycles, just as they'd book a cab. The company made around 600 cycles available at spots around the campus. The users can park their vehicle after use at Ola parking stations which the company set up in the campus.  

For the trial period, Ola's cycles were made available at IIT Kanpur free for the first 30 minutes, and cost Rs 5 for each following 30 minute period. The company declined to comment on the charges to levied in Bengaluru.  

The company added more sophisticated cycles with GPS, QR codes, smart locks and better security features to keep the cycles within the campus.

Zoomcar already piloting the project in Bengaluru. Ola is developing solutions to add other services on Ola app to take on competition and find new revenue streams.