Sawari

"To provide a healthy and time saving transportation service to students of IIT Ropar , also empowering the entrepreneur."

Community

BIIT Ropar situated at the outskirts of the city called Rupnagar is our community. There are about 650 students from various graduate , undergraduate as well as doctorate program studying here. Since the college does not permits the use of motor vehicles for students and prior permission has to be taken to buy cycles. Students were completely dependent on Auto drivers for their transportation which was quite costly. Auto drivers who used to charge Rs 17.5 on each Kilometer. On an average, a student spent Rs 300 per month on transportation from college to Ropar. While others preferred walking rather than paying huge dues, we will like to consider time as a resource as well.

Approach

The most feasible solution to the above problem was providing bicycles on rent. Our immediate step was to identify a potential shop just outside the campus. The best target entrepreneur was the owner of a general store, Lucky. His monthly earning from his shop was about Rs 8,500 which was barely enough for a family of four. In februrary, 2015 ,We loaned him 5 second hand cycles for a total cost of Rs. 5400 and the price for rent was set at a mere Rs. 10 per hour for each cycle. It received a very warm response from the students, so much that we had to launch an app for the students to check availability of the cycles without leaving their rooms. The availability was maintained by the entrepreneur.Also, we ensured that the each bicycle was tested every 2 days and if any problem is detected then to be serviced immediately.

Impact

  • Financial: As of for now each bicycle is rented atleast 23 times a week and total revenue generated till date is Rs 14530.The shopkeeper has decided to expand the project with the introduction of 4 brand new bicycles.Due to this project the average cost of transportation of students has been a mere sum of Rs 80.

  • Natural: The project intiated in saving 63 kgs of carbon emission.

  • Cost Effective: The best quality and biodegradable Bio-phenyl is sold at very cheap rates, increasing the profit margin for the manufacturers.

  • Physical: It provides access to transportation to 650 students with 1032 cycle trips since February.