Connecting the News

On face of it, the following news appear unrelated:

Crank up or perish, BMC tells BEST 

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-dna-exclusive-crank-up-or-perish-bmc-tells-best-2626457

Highlights :

*   The number of daily travellers of BEST buses in Mumbai has dropped from 42 lakh (

     per day ) to 25 lakh . BEST’s annual loss is about Rs 900 crore and its accumulated

     loss is over Rs 5,000 crore .  BEST will need Rs 10,000 crore in the next 5 / 6 years

    for its existing operations . 

    BEST’s running cost is Rs 107 per Km ( for its diesel buses ) whereas Greater

    Hyderabad Municipal Corporation , just signed a lease agreement for Electric Buses at

    Rs  8.7 per Km  !

   [ Ref : https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2018/05/ev-electricvehicles-eesl-   wetlease.html  ]

 

Mumbai: Price capping for your taxi and auto rides to be delayed further 

 

https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/mumbai-price-capping-for-your-taxi-and-auto-rides-to-be-delayed-further/story-4hGjTJJo1DL2WZKsaT3nWN.html

 

Highlights :

 

*  During peak hours , UBER / OLA charge a “ surge price “ which is 4 to 5 times the normal price !

Khatua Panel – 2016 ( which reviewed the recommendations of Hakim Panel – 2012 ) wants this limited to 2.5 times ( still taking advantage of the fact that the citizens do not have a faster / cheaper / better alternative ! )

 

 

Dutch may soon get paid for cycling to work

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/dutch-may-soon-get-paid-for-cycling-to-work/articleshow/64609156.cms 

Highlights :

One innovative idea is to compensate employees for cycling to work, with Van Veldhoven proposing a reimbursement of 19 cents ( Rs 15 ) per kilometre cycled from home and back

 

Van Veldhoven is to discuss the proposal and other ways of promoting bicycle use

through fiscal rewards such as subsidies to buy bicycles " with major national employers

and small and medium enterprises," her ministry said in a statement.

More than half of people's daily trips in the Netherlands are less than 7.5 kilometres and

more than half live less than 15 kilometres from work.

"With the development of the electric bicycle, this distance can easily be covered," the

ministry added, saying nearly 100 million euros have been budgeted to increase bicycle

roads and its parking space.

Now , let us assume that Mumbaikars travel 10 km each way to and from work place

That is 20 km per day .

If we were to reimburse a Mumbaikar  opting to use an ELECTRIC BICYCLE , at just Rs 5 per km , he would get Rs 100 per day ( @ Rs 5 per km ) by way of reimbursement .

For 300 days in a year , they would earn Rs 30,000 

Now , under FAME Scheme , government is already giving a subsidy of Rs 29,000 to a buyer of Electric Motor Cicycles

But India’s ATHERENERGY  E Bike is priced at Rs 1.09 Lakh  [ e340 model ]

That means , after the subsidy , a buyer would need to put up Rs 80,000 from his own pocket

But, in 3 years’ time , a buyer would get Rs 90,000 by way of reimbursement

Then there is a cheaper alternative in the form of :

*  a  GeoOrbital  wheel , selling for $ 1000 ( approx. Rs 70,000 ) , to be coupled to

*  a standard 26 inch bicycle ( HERO / HERCULES etc ) selling for Rs 10,000

A total of Rs 80,000 / - ( Range of 12 miles / recharge of 3 hours from domestic outlet )

 

I urge our Policy Makers to consider emulating the Dutch

It is high time BEST / UBER / OLA get some serious competition !

 

18  June  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs