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How viable are e-scooter feeder services for last mile connectivity | Pune News

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It was announced on Pune Metro social media pages that electric-scooter feeder services would be made available at PMC and Deccan Gymkhana metro stations on December 11. This was to help people reach Laxmi road for PMC’s Walking Plaza programme from 10 am to 8 pm to mark Pedestrian Day.

However, around 5 pm, no e-scooters could be found anywhere near PMC metro station. Upon enquiry, officials at the station seemed clueless about the initiative. It was the same case at Deccan Gymkhana, where the reporter was directed to Garware station with the promise that e-scooters were available there. However, no e-scooters were found at Garware station either.

Metro spokesperson Hemant Sonawne said, “E-scooters were made available today as a joyride demo. All of them must have been taken to Laxmi road early on, so they were unavailable later in the day”. As per data provided by Pune Metro, 5 e-scooters were parked at Garware and Deccan metro station each, and 290 persons used e-scooters on December 11.

However, Garware station did have the infrastructure for charging the e-scooters. A metro official at the station said, “These e-scooters were introduced early on. But I never see any when I come to work everyday. Sometimes people take them and don’t return them for at least a month”. He said one needs to book them through an app and check availability.

Sonawne said infrastructure has been developed at a few stations for future needs when they expand on the initiative. “These e-scooters belong to private companies, so people will have to return them. That should not be a problem,” he said. He said some e-cooters were made available on March 6, 2002. But on Monday, the first demo was held to integrate them better with the metro for last mile connectivity.

Festive offer

On the issue of safety of e-scooters on Pune roads, Sonawne said, “Since its speed is limited and it weighs less as compared with a two-wheeler, it is more convenient. But once people begin to use them regularly, we will understand the pros and cons better.”

A Metro commuter, Sagar, said, “Given the condition of Pune roads with the terrain and traffic, the encroachment on footpaths and lack of cycling tracks, e-scooter services don’t seem practical.”



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Mohd Aman

Editor in Chief Approved by Indian Government

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