The Srinagar Smart City initiative has spent over Rs 13 crore on a public bicycle sharing scheme and dedicated cycle tracks, yet the project has generated a mere Rs 4.48 lakh in revenue since its launch in May 2023.
Rs 9.06 crore was used to build cycle tracks in Batamaloo, Hazratbal, and Lal Chowk, while an additional Rs 4.14 crore was allocated as viability gap funding to a private firm running the bike-sharing service under a five-year contract. So far, Rs 1.2 crore of this funding has been disbursed.
Despite this significant public expenditure, the network of 900 bicycles and 100 docking stations has failed to attract meaningful public participation. Docking stations are concentrated in upscale areas like Lal Chowk, Dal Gate, and Hazratbal, locations that cater more to aesthetics than accessibility.
Critics argue that these so-called “smart” spaces have effectively become exclusive zones for the privileged, where even autorickshaw drivers are reportedly denied entry on foot. Instead of serving the wider public, the infrastructure seems tailored for the elite, while the poor—who walk the most—remain excluded from both its design and its benefits.
This raises serious questions about whom such projects are meant to serve, especially in a city where basic public transport and pedestrian safety remain unaddressed.
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