Pakistan’s first ‘electric bike sharing service’ launched in Islamabad this Wednesday. The service called “ezBike” is powered by Jazz sims for connectivity and is set to change the way people commute every day.
Roamer Technologies, a NIC Islamabad startup, announced the news at a launch event held at the National Incubation Center, which was attended by IT & Telecom Minister Syed AminuI Haque, along with other dignitaries.
Addressing the launching ceremony, IT & Telecom Minister Syed Aminul Haque said, “It is a proud moment for Pakistan that innovative companies like ezBike are being launched in Pakistan. The future of Pakistan lies in information technology and without tech innovation we cannot progress. Electric vehicle technology is the biggest game changer for the mobility market and our government will support startups that want to leverage this technology.
“We would also like to acknowledge the role of Jazz in supporting the startup ecosystem through our national network of incubators. I would like to congratulate public private partners such as Ignite, Jazz xlr8 and Teamup that are proving to be an effective catalyst in scaling-up the startups.”
ezBike, like many transportation services in the country is completely online and app based where users can locate and reserve an electric bike parked near them using the ezBike mobile app, ride it themselves to their destination and park it in a designated zone, after which it becomes available for the next user to ride.
The user will be charged Rs 5 for every minute and if they stop somewhere, for instance to buy something, then they can pause the electric bike. The rent will reduce to Rs2 per minute.
“There is no risk of this eco-friendly bike being stolen due to the security system. Arrive at your destination and park the bike anywhere. Your responsibility is over,” Ali Moeen Malik, co-founder of Roamer said.
Roamer Technologies plans to deploy over 2,000 electric bikes within the next year with currently limited to a few sectors. If it is taken out of the sector, the bike will stop automatically.
