Is MCC Aware that Rental Bike Operators are doing their Business on Public Property?
Mangaluru: Rental bikes are becoming a menace as they are parked everywhere, including footpaths, across the city. Customers who hire these bikes do not bother whether it is a ‘No Parking’ zone or pavement and park them wherever they want. There are couple of bike rental service providers in the city, like the ‘Bounce”; ‘Vogo’ and anyone with a valid driving licence can rent a bike. But most of the time, these vehicles are left on busy roads, no-parking zones and on footpaths, troubling other vehicle riders and pedestrians.
And if you go around the City, you will notice that the operators/owners of these Rental Bikes are doing their business on public property or in front shopping centres or along the side of footpath- and a few rental bikes are parked near Kadri Park, with their business sign. Are they paying any fees or rent to Mangaluru City Corporation for occupying the public space- I very much doubt about it?
The traffic police speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “We have come across many such rental bikes parked by the renters in no park zones and we will start seizing vehicles parked in violation of traffic rules. Any vehicle parked in a no-parking zone is towed away and now these rented bikes are parked everywhere. If they are parked in parking spaces, then we do not have an issue, but if they are parked anywhere and everywhere causing hindrance then we will seize them. We will soon call for a meeting with service providers and will tell them that such menace cannot be tolerated,’ he said.
He said that a traffic police inspector recently questioned a customer as to why he was parking the bike on a busy street. The rider replied that the app showed him the location as where it should be parked. ‘If the app is showing locations without even checking if it is a footpath or no parking zone, then it is a serious concern. It will have to be discussed with the operators,’ he said.
But when Team Mangalorean questioned a staff with one of the bike rental services, he said, ‘Our app is well integrated and does not ask customers to park vehicles in no-parking zones or footpaths. The app will also suggest parking spaces that have less vehicular movement. But at times, we get the feedback that the app shows parking locations that are not suitable and this happens rarely due to technical glitches. But we are aware that bikes can’t be parked everywhere.’
