Chandigarh’s public bike-sharing scheme loses sheen

Vandalism of bicycles and docking stations, theft of cycles and equipment, poor maintenance and low ridership are among the major challenges facing Chandigarh’s Public Bike Sharing (PBS) scheme. The project, launched as a pan-city initiative under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode in 2020 under the Smart City Mission, is in poor condition.

Broken bicycles, damaged docking stations, uneven flooring and overgrown grass at several locations are discouraging people from using the service.

After the closure of Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) in March 2025, the operation of the project was handed over to the Municipal Corporation (MC).

The MC has imposed penalties multiple times on the operator, Smart Bike Tech Private Limited, for failing to adhere to the terms and conditions of the agreement.

In a notice issued on July 13, the MC imposed a penalty of Rs 15.86 lakh on the company for failing to maintain the required number of smart bicycles on the ground. The notice issued by the MC stated: “Service level data received from the agency for June 2026, accordingly penalty is calculated for bicycle availability.”

Such penalties with a total amount of about Rs 2.75 crore had also been imposed on the operator in the past two years. The company was allotted the project in 2020, and the contract was initially signed for 10 years. As per the agreement, the company pays about Rs 1 lakh per month as licence fee to the MC. The company is also allowed to generate revenue through advertising panels installed at the docking stations. Users can access the smart bicycles through a mobile application and are required to maintain a certain amount in their digital wallet. The bicycle lock is opened by scanning the QR code on the cycle at a docking station. The ride costs Rs 10 per hour. A visit to several docking stations revealed that many bicycles were either missing or in poor condition, with broken seats and other damaged components. Several docking stations were also found to be poorly maintained.

Rajiv, a regular user of the cycle-sharing service, said its condition was deteriorating day by day. “Earlier, the condition of the bicycles was good, but now most of them are either missing from the docking stations or are not in good condition,” he said.

However, Smart Bike Tech Private Limited, while replying to a notice on July 13, 2025, and in subsequent communications, said it was facing persistent challenges arising from theft, vandalism, misuse and encroachments, which were severely affecting its operations and were beyond its reasonable control.

The company said despite several representations, these issues remained unresolved. It claimed that more than 70 complaints had been lodged with the local police regarding such incidents.

The company also alleged that there had been no practical support or intervention from the MC to address the problems on the ground.

According to the company, there have been frequent instances of racks being removed or damaged, particularly at locations near residential areas. In several cases, residents and local vendors were allegedly using the docking areas for private vehicle parking. The company said these issues had earlier also been brought to the notice of the CSCL.

Vijay Pal Singh, president of Chandigarh AAP, said no MC project was running properly and alleged that crores of rupees of public money were being spent on projects that failed to deliver the desired results.

Chandigarh Congress president HS Lucky described the bike-sharing scheme as another failed Smart City project. He said the MC must ensure that it functioned properly.

Mayor Saurabh Joshi said he would look into the matter and explore ways to improve the project for the benefit of city residents. He would ensure that bicycles remain in good condition and the project runs properly.