Moving on 2 wheels
App-based bicycle rental service “JoBike” is becoming popular among students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) as it has made the daily commute within the campus much easier than before.
JoBike Ltd started its pilot run at JU on July 11 in association with the university's urban and regional planning department, after fine-tuning its operations in Cox's Bazar.
The mobile application enables users to find bicycles at 10 docks near the dormitories and academic buildings. A user has to scan a QR code to unlock the bike, which can be dropped off at any designated location on the campus.
Users are charged Tk 3 for every five minutes. As many as 100 bikes are currently available from 8:00am to 10:00pm for students, said Mir Rasel, campus head of JoBike Ltd.
The company is using Internet of Things (IoT) in their specially-designed bikes to locate them easily, he added.
Baishakhi Rubaiyat Hoque, a master's student of philosophy, said, “Now, I can commute easily from my dormitory to other places spending Tk 5. I don't have to wait for rickshaws anymore.”
“It's a good service at a reasonable price,” said Shafiul Alam Prodhan, a fourth-year student of government and politics.
However, Habibur Rahman, student of geography and environment, complained that many are using the service for recreational purposes. “At times, it gets difficult finding a ride.”
Mehdi Reza, founder and president of JoBike Ltd, said the startup plans to start its service at other universities. He said they chose JU to launch the campus-based bike sharing service as it is a residential university and a large number of students reside at the dormitories.
“We want to help students make short and convenient trips easily,” he said. “We are increasing the number of cycles and also working to further improve the technology.”
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