
Hyderabad's Miyapur Metro Station, will soon have a facility for you to rent a self-drive electric car.
Electric cars are being introduced into cities by rental firms, a great way to make a sizeable dent in the pollution cars cause. For every internal combustion engine replaced with an electric one, is a win, for sure. Well, after Mumbai’s initiative of renting electric cars for local commutes, Hyderabad has jumped onto the e-car bandwagon.
In a first, the Hyderabad metro rail in association with Zoomcar will allow you to rent an e-car from the Miyapur metro station. According to a report in the New Indian Express, you can choose from among 25 cars for a ride along the metro corridor, where the power grid is setting up charging stations.
Soon, the airport and other localities will experience this facility.
So, how does this work?
Using an app, you can book the car on a rental basis at just Rs 40 an hour. Submit your valid driver’s licence for the booking. If you want the car for a month, pay Rs 10,000. Also, if you drop off your car at the metro station whenever it is not being used, your monthly bill will be adjusted accordingly.
The cars themselves operate on lithium-ion batteries and take around 90 minutes to charge fully. The facility is touted to be a big boon for IT employees.
According to NVS Reddy, Managing Director, Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL), this will improve the last-mile connectivity between offices and the metro station.
Reddy pointed out that Hyderabad was the first city in the country with such a setup. He also expressed his fear of the city turning into a gas chamber like Delhi. He believes shared mobility will result in fewer cars on the road.
He also spoke of multi-level parking facilities, with the cars being fitted with all the basic amenities. The work is progressing rapidly, with around 42 properties being acquired for metro-related works. HMRL is also providing opportunities to private companies, where it will act as the nodal agency, using the land for metro work, with ownership still lying with the private company.
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Well, with e-cars being implemented on a bigger scale, we can hope that emissions will be reduced and our air quality won’t deteriorate further!
(Edited by Shruti Singhal)