Rental two-wheelers in demand after bike taxi ban

Since mid-June there has been an increase in bike and bicycle rentals in Bengaluru. This follows the bike taxi ban, which also drove up autorickshaw fares. 

Cycle and low-speed EV rentals start at a price of approximately Rs 100, while bikes can be rented for Rs 450 and up, per day. One can rent them on hourly, daily, and monthly basis from agencies across the city.

The demographic that is opting for rentals include college students, young professionals, gig workers, newcomers to the city, and tourists.

Across its three branches, Twist Throttle has been receiving almost double the enquiries and demand for their daily commute bikes since mid-June. Mohammed Abubakar, owner, says: “Demand for our scooters has increased from 45% to 90%, and regular bikes from 30% to around 60%.” They offer scooters for rent at Rs 6,000 and bikes for Rs 9,000 per month. “Most of our customers are young professionals, daily wage workers, and newcomers to the city. A majority of them are women,” he adds.

Launched in May, Nexryd Bike Rentals in BTM Layout, is seeing 10% more business compared to when it started. Their rental packages start at 6 hours. Each hour is priced at Rs 16 and has a 5 km limit. Prashanth S, owner, points out that most of their customers are students from paying guest accommodations nearby and young professionals. “For under Rs 100, one can use a bike on a daily basis. We also have people who hire vehicles for around Rs 1,400 per week,” he adds.

Launched in 2017, Yulu’s low-speed two-wheeler EV bikes are used by Bengalureans for last-mile connectivity, gig work, and daily commutes. They have noticed a considerable increase in demand in  the last month. “Since the bike taxi ban came into effect, the demand for our commute-focused shared EV (Yulu Miracle) went up by approximately 50%,” shares a spokesperson. With increased operational optimisation (placing bikes near tech parks, metro stations, and public transport hubs, and accelerating repairs and maintenance processes), the company was able to capture about half (25%) of user demand, adds the spokesperson.

RentNZip, a bike rental agency in Thippasandra, rents out scooters on a monthly basis for Rs 4,000. Owner Mathew Geogy Abraham has noticed a 25% increase in enquiries since the end of June. “However, most of these calls have not translated into bookings, as they are for daily rentals,” he adds.

For a week (between June 17 and 23), calls increased from 100 to 150 per day, observes Gautham Koushik, owner of Mari Rent A Bike, Basavanagudi. “We usually get 300-400 customers every month, which varies according to the holiday season. Business spiked by around 10-15% during May to June compared to earlier months. Most of our revenue comes from scooter rentals used for daily commute,” he adds.

Bicycle rides

Rental agencies in Indiranagar, Hebbal, and Marathahalli also reported an increase in demand. However, safety — due to the lack of bicycle lanes and docks — continues to be a factor that deters bicycling in the city, some state. “We have received enquiries for shorter rental periods, such as six hours to a day, so that they can try out cycling,” an agency owner in East Bengaluru adds.

Cycle agencies, like Pedal in Tandem in Indiranagar, have seen consistent demand. They usually get around 3-4 enquiries per day and have been receiving 90-120 calls in the last few months too. “Though there isn’t a noticeable spike, we have our regular bookings,” says its manager.