By Paulo Fugen

Education City has bigger plans than bike racks for its two-wheel transportation system, including global positioning system (GPS) chips and licensing, according to Jassim Telefat, technical affairs director at Qatar Foundation’s Capital Projects department.

“It’s not really a simple system,” Telefat said of the bike system, which is still not operating.

Once in operation, all the bicycles in the system will be equipped with GPS chips. This will allow the Qatar Foundation Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) department to track bicycles in case users do not return them to a rack, Telefat explained.

However, the HSSE could not be reached for comment on the matter.

People who want to use the system will be required to get a license from the HSSE, who will be responsible for training potential users of the system, but the exact details of the process have not yet been outlined, Telefat added.

The bicycles also cannot leave the white painted biking lanes all over EC. The HSSE will use the GPS system to monitor bicycle users and will be alerted if a bicycle leaves the lanes. Security will then investigate the user and possibly take his or her’s bicycle license, Telefat said.

The new biking system will also operate much like the card system in the new residence halls: users will need to swipe a card in order to remove a bicycle from one of the racks in EC. There will be no fee to get a card, although users will be fined if they lose the card or damage a bicycle.

QF Capital Projects is currently working to hand over the system to the Student Life and HSSE departments. “That’s why it’s taking so long to start the program,” Telefat said. “So far, there is no deadline for [the launch of] the project.”

However, Telefat emphasized that HSSE are taking the time they need to set the system up correctly.

“We can’t just simply start it in a haphazard way,” Telefat said.