Explore Goa On E-Bikes

Here's a new way to explore Goa beyond beaches! One-of-its-kind and first in the country, a joint initiative by Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) in partnership with Arcis Tours, B:Live offers guided city tours of the unexplored parts of Goa on electric bikes. E- bikes aim to promote sustainable tourism.

"Sustainable tourism is the core of our efforts and we are happy to take lead in creating the Electric Vehicle (EV) ecosystem in India, setting an example for others. We encourage and support technologies and enterprises which bring about a positive environmental change. Goa spearheads several ecotourism initiatives in the country and our association with Arcis Tours is another step towards achieving our sustainability goals," said Manohar Azgaonkar, Minister for Tourism, Govt of Goa, at the launch.

Endorsing nonpolluting biking tours, Chairman of GTDC, Dayanand Sopte emphasised on the need to provide good service without polluting the environment. "E Hubs made of recycle shipping containers serve as charging points and tourist facilitation centres with Free Wifi, F&B, shopping," he said.

Pollution and congestion caused by tourist vehicles has been a cause of concern for Goa government and there is a need to introduce sustainable tourism practises which are easy to emulate. Samarth Kholkar, CEO & Co-Founder, Arcis Tours, a startup founded under Arcis Clean Energy, has pioneered in 'Electric Vehicle (EV) Tourism' in India, allows tourists to explore their favourite destination in a clean, green and non-polluting way. "Through B:Live, we aim to encourage people to adopt cleaner way of commute while discovering authentic local experiences. So one can soak in the Goan culture and enjoy an immersive travel experience," he said.

B:Live offers fun experiential tours to help travellers discover, understand heritage, city ruins and meet people who have witnessed the making of Goa, which is so far only known for its serene and beautiful beaches. Nikhil Desai, MD, GTDC feels that "Goa has always welcomed and supported new ideas to promote the destination beyond sand and sea. Our endeavour in the long run will be to support and empower such initiatives without regulatory issues."

Starting with 50 state-of-the-art bikes, the startup plans to introduce upto 500 in the next six months. At present it operates four tours : discovering Devar Island, culture & heritage tour of Goa and the making of Panjim, which includes three to four hours of cycling through the lanes dotted with Portuguese architecture, temples and churches amidst green pastures. The tours are offered in groups of 5-6 people accompanied by an experienced tour captain. A three-hour tour starts at Rs 1800.

Sandeep Mukherjee, COO and co-founder, Arcis Tours, said that the cycles have a maximum speed of 25 km an hour and can travel 50 km in one charge. "Each cycle has smart and digital screens for multi-info display and disc brakes for safety, GPS enabled and equipped with first-aid kit ensuring safety of the rider. The tours provide all info on the app through audio commentary. Each location is geo-fenced to ensure triggering the content as the tourist cross a point of interest."

B:live is currently completely funded by Arcis Tours, with GTDC providing marketing and branding support.

Vaishali Dar

BW Reporters Vaishali Dar is a Senior Associate Editor with BW Businessworld and Editorial Head with BW Disrupt. She writes on corporates, start-ups, hospitality and travel