Delhi govt to introduce 1,500 e-scooters for self driving in Dwarka

New Delhi: Last-mile connectivity will no-more be a hassle in Delhi. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced a historic move to introduce 1,500 e-scooters that will be available for self driving at public places.

He said, “We are going to start this as a pilot project with e-scooters in Dwarka; 1500 e-scooters will be made available at 250 sites within the area. You will have to drive the e-scooter yourself and pay a fare for it; payment can be made through the integrated card that works on bus and metro. You will be able to pick up an e-scooter from any of the 250 locations and will have to drop it back at any of these locations.”

“Within the next 12 months, 1,500 e-scooters will be deployed at 250 locations, which will be available at high footfall places including metro stations, bus stops, hospitals. The e-scooter will have a swappable battery and a maximum range of 60 km on a full charge; will be able to travel up to 60 kmph speed. The company which charges the least amount from the consumer, will be given the contract for seven years,” he added.

CM chaired a high level review meeting on transport reforms on Saturday, wherein it was decided that the Delhi government will run e-scooters under a pilot project for last mile connectivity.

He said, “We have taken giant leaps in the transport sector of Delhi. We procured buses at a large scale, the metro system is as good as it can get. But last mile connectivity has been a very major concern for very long. We have found a solution towards this finally. We are going to start a pilot project in Dwarka sub-city by deploying e-scooters in the self driving system. The area of Dwarka in itself contains about 10 metro stations and dozens of bus stops. We have identified 250 locations to deploy 1,500 e-scooters. You can hire the scooter using the integrated card itself that works in buses and metros.”

He further said, “You don't need anyone to ferry you here. It will be completely self-driven. The helmet will be attached to the scooter. You can take it and drive around in the area and drop it anywhere on the 250 locations. All the scooters will contain swappable batteries. The driving range of the scooter will be at least 60 km/charge, max speed will be 60 kmph.”

He concluded, “From the day of tender agreement, the first 500 scooters will be deployed at 100 locations. Then another 500 at another 100 locations in the next four months and then another 500 with another 50 locations by the end of the year. The contract will be awarded for 7 years. The locations chosen for the contract are the high footfall areas of Dwarka. The bid parameter would be the company charging the lowest amount of fare from the consumer.”

1500 scooters to be stationed at 250 locations in Dwarka, here at the details:

Significance of Self Drive Scooter Sharing

E-scooter sharing services in high-density corridors of cities can decongest traffic and help citizens seamlessly connect with public transport. An ideal E-scooter sharing platform must be affordable and sustainable. It helps in Increasing Ridership in Public Transportation, Sustainable & Eco Friendly Transportation, First and Last Mile Connectivity and is a Feeder to Public Transportation.

E-Scooter Capabilities

The capabilities of the e-scooter shall include — QR Code to Scan, Bluetooth Enablement, Provision of Helmet under the seat, Ergonomic Design, GPS with GPRS, Tubeless Tyres with Hydraulic suspension, Swappable Battery + BMS, Up to 150 Kg Load Capacity.

The driving range of the scooter will be at least 60km/charge, max speed will be 60 kmph, motor power will be at least 1000 watt with a BLDC motor, and will take 3-4 hours for full charge.

10 charging and maintenance hubs to support the project

The government will ensure allocation of the required number of parking stations within Dwarka sub-city with close proximity to metro stations, bus depots and key areas along with providing feasible areas for setting up 10 charging and maintenance hubs having an area of 100 sq metres.