Oct. 10: Calcutta is set to get cycle stations from where one can hire cycles for short distances.

Zoomcar, a self-drive car rental company, will launch PEDL, an app-based cycle sharing service, at Golf Green tomorrow. PEDL will offer people cycles at Rs 10 for half an hour.

A person will have to locate the nearest PEDL station on the Zoomcar app and hire a cycle by making a payment through Paytm.

The cycle stations will have clear branding for easy visibility, a company official said. "A person can take a cycle from one station and drop it off at another near his destination."

The plan is to make PEDL available every 50 to 100m in the city.

"It will help residents find mobility for short distances of 1 to 5km," Greg Moran, CEO and founder of Zoomcar, said.

For such short distances, people either walk or take a rickshaw or a motorcyle or a taxi, he said. "We are offering a much cheaper option that is non-polluting and won't lead to congestion."

While running the pilot project in the city for the past couple of months, Zoomcar found "a fairly large number of takers".

"From a 60-year-old to a five-year-old, everyone rides a bike... we had an overwhelming response," Moran said.

Also, the government is open to cycling and is ready to promote it in places like New Town and Salt Lake, he said.

The cycles with smart locks, solar-charged batteries and multi-purpose buskets can be tracked real time.

PEDL will have the option for people to become "hosts" by allowing cycles to be kept at their homes. In return, the "host" will enjoy various benefits from Zoomcar.