Junked bikes get new lease of life in UP's Bijnore

Bijnor (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 6 : Bijnor district administration has launched 100 refurbished bicycles under a public bicycle sharing programme, "Bikes of Bijnor", and made them available for the people across ten points in the city to use and return free of cost.
Bijnor District Magistrate Ramakant Pandey and Police Superintendent Dharm Veer Singh launched the programme on Monday.
"Last year, when the district administration had arranged for trains and buses for the migrant workers, we collected their bicycles and carts," said Vikramaditya Singh Malik, Bijnor Joint Magistrate.
The district administration then gave the migrant workers the option of taking their bicycles back or being paid Rs 600 per bicycle.
"After months, during a visit to a police station, we noticed all those bicycles lying there rusting. So, we thought of making better use of them," said Malik.
"This way, we conceived the idea to develop a public bike-sharing scheme under the 'Waste to Wealth' concept," Malik added.
"Following this, We started contacting a number of local bicycle mechanics to make the bicycles fit to work within a capped expenditure of Rs 1500 per bicycle," the Joint Magistrate further said.
There are 100 such yellow-painted bicycles that are stationed at 10 centres across the city.

Anyone can take the bicycles and return them later.
For the first month, people can avail these bicycles gratis. Later, for their maintenance, a nominal fee of Rs five will be charged from the people.