Bike Shifting in Malur

Malur sits on the highway between Bangalore and Kolar, and half the town commutes one way or the other. The packers page is about the moment the commute stops making sense and the family moves.

For many commuters, the daily routine involves a bike and a train or bus. Ride to Malur station or the bus stand, park in the pay and park, catch the train to Bangalore, and ride home in the evening. Over the years, the bike spends more hours in that parking lot than at home.

When the move comes, it's tempting to forget about that. But a few things live at the parking lot, and they need settling.

The monthly pass. Most regular commuters pay monthly. If the pass runs to the end of the month and you move on the tenth, ask the contractor whether the unused days can be refunded or adjusted. Some will; some won't. Either way, tell them you're leaving.

The token or sticker. Many lots issue a token, a card or a sticker for monthly users. Hand it back, or have it cancelled, so nobody else uses your pass.

The bike itself. If you're moving in the middle of the week, the simplest plan is often to ride the bike home on your last commuting day and have it collected from home. But if the house is already packed and the family has gone, the bike may be collected straight from the lot.

Collecting from a pay and park needs a little arrangement. Tell the attendant in advance that a carrier will come for your bike, on which day and roughly when. Give them your name, the registration number and your token details. On the day, be there yourself if you can, or send someone with written permission and a copy of the RC.

Mind the pass in the bike's seat. Commuters often keep the parking card, the pass receipt and a spare key in the seat compartment. Empty it before collection, hand the card back, and keep the spare key with you.

Check the bike before collection. A bike parked daily at a station collects dust, bird droppings and the odd knock from other bikes squeezed alongside. Walk round it with the crew and note what's already there.

Think about who rides it last. On the final commuting day, the bike may sit in the lot overnight if the carrier comes the next morning. Ask the attendant whether that's allowed for monthly users, and lock the steering as usual.

Collect at a quiet hour. Station lots are packed at morning and evening rush. Mid-morning or early afternoon, when most commuters' bikes are already in and none are leaving, gives the carrier space to stop and the crew room to wheel the bike out.

Malur bikes are handled by our crew, used to collections from homes and parking lots alike. Our survey sets one written figure, and we're answerable for the bike between the parking lot or your gate and the new address.

Our Malur packers page covers the end of the commute. This page is about the bike that made it possible, and the parking lot it's leaving.

Think too about the train pass. If you hold a monthly or quarterly season ticket for the Bangalore route, ask at the booking counter what, if anything, can be refunded for the unused period. It's a separate errand from the bike, but it belongs on the same list: close the parking pass, the season ticket and the bike's last day at the lot together.

If the move is to Bangalore, the bike may change its role. A bike that was the first leg of a commute may become the whole commute, on city roads. Have it serviced once it arrives, and check the new route on a weekend before the first working day.

An electric scooter parked at a station all day is usually charged at home overnight. Before the move, bring the charger home from wherever it's kept, and ask where a socket is free at the new place. Mention the EV's make at booking.