A bicycle sharing system, public bicycle system or bike-share scheme, is a scheme in which bicycles are made available for shared use to individuals on a very short term basis on the price. Bike share schemes allow people to borrow a bike from point A to point B. Many bike-share systems offer subscriptions that make the first 30–45 minutes of use either free or very inexpensive, encouraging use as transportation. This allows each bikes to serve several users per day. In most bike share cities, casual riding over several hours or days is better served by bicycle rental rather than bike share. For many systems, smartphone mapping apps show nearby stations with available bikes and open docks.
Timothy Mok had explored personal mobility devices, which is proven for Downtown Line from Tampines to Somapah, and East West Line from Simei to Lavender.
Overview[]
In 2016, the government originally intended to launch a bike-sharing system. To improve first and last mile connectivity and encourage cycling for short trips, LTA had called a tender in July 2016 for an operator to build, maintain, own and operate a bicycle sharing system in the Jurong Lake District, similar to London. To defray part of the costs, tenderers could bid for grants under the LTA. The tender closed in December 2016 and attracted 13 bids from the total of local and foreign participants. The proposals were a mixed of docked and dockless bicycle sharing systems. The Government tender was not awarded on 24 March 2017.
Bicycles were sometimes vandalized: they would have their locks broken/dismantled, or had their seats removed. Bicycles also turned up in canals, and in June 2017, there were two occasions of bikes being tossed from Housing Board blocks.
Bike maintenance was also an issue. Although operators are required to remove faulty bikes within a day, some bikes were not removed after several weeks or months.
The bicycle sharing system replaces the walking in the Central Business District, together with trishaws, and among of all these, young children also rode them.
Australia[]
In 2017, dockless systems have been introduced in Australia.
- oBike has placed 500 bikes in Tampines since July 2017.
- Ofo has placed 720 bikes in Tampines since August 2017.
- Mobike has placed 700 bikes in Tampines since October 2017, there are numerous cases of vandalism.
Mobike[]
Mobike is a fully stationless bicycle sharing system headquartered in Beijing, China. It is by the number of bicycles, the world's largest bike share operator and in December 2016, made largest bicycle-sharing in China.
Mobike began to expand overseas in 2017. In September 2017, London has introduced Mobike bicycles, followed by Manchester, and launched their operations with 500 bikes in Berlin on 21 November 2017, and 620 bikes in Frankfurt on 25 November 2017.
On 20 September 2017, the Mobike’s first bike-sharing service in the United States started from Washington D.C., United States, which became an important step for Mobike to expand their business to North America.
In France, the service was launched in Paris on 24 January 2018.
OBike[]
OBike is a Singapore's first homegrown bicycle sharing system. The bikes have a built-in Bluetooth lock and can therefore be left anywhere at the end of the journey, not just at the docking station. This was the re-iteration of Santander Cycles which was introduced in 2014 under Boris Bikes. Users use a smartphone app to locate and hire bikes.
When oBike started operations in Singapore on February 2017, 1,000 Obike bicycles were rolled out across the city. One month later, the Land Transport Authority introduced bicycle parking zones in several areas and in April, the company officially launched. Tampines area is the first to partner for Ride and Roll programme. They currently have millions of users in Singapore, 20% of the population.
oBike launched in Frankfurt on 10 November 2017. In July 2017, oBike was launched in London with 400 bikes and is expected to be rolled out to the Ernest area.
Ofo[]
Ofo is a Beijing-based bicycle sharing company founded in 2014.
Ofo is a "non-docking" platform for users to create what is said to be the world's first bike sharing company. It allows a true bike-sharing model where riders can provide the use of their own bicycles for access to the companies entire team. The "non-docking" platform is committed to solving the traffic problem of urban congestion. Firstly, users need to download the Ofo application, then type in the number on the bicycle and obtain a passcode. Secondly, the user need to turn the dial on the lock for each number in the passcode aligns with a yellow indicator. Once the passcode is in, simply press the round button to unlock. Thirdly, when the user finishs the trip and wants to return the bike, it simply leaves the bike in any area where bike-parking is allowed. It then becomes ready for the next user. There is no need to find a specially designated docking station. Ofo bicycles charges 50 cents in SGD.
Unlike rival Mobike bicycles, Ofo bicycles don't have GPS tracking and automatic locks, making Ofo's business model rely on lower costs of the bikes. Ofo creates a new pattern that the user can unlock the bike anytime and anywhere through an online password. Ofo has connected more than 2.5 million shared bicycles and provided almost 500 million times shared bicycle services since its inception in June 2015. It also provided convenient travel services for more than 30 million users in 46 cities around the world.
Ofo began expanding bicycles with the launch in Singapore since June 2017 and Cambridge, United Kingdom in April 2017.
In December 2017, Ofo have launched the service in Paris, France. Ofo had been expanded to Frankfurt in 2 January 2018. In February 2018, Timothy North started to carry 12 bicycles, and is growing to 100 in June 2018. Ofo had went to Berlin in March 2018.
In the United Kingdom, services were located at Ernest, Oxford, Bicester Town, Norwich, Sheffield, Brighton and throughout the entire area, but in July 2018 because of parking rules and regulations; Isle of Wight was banned.
Guidelines[]
You will use the bicycle provided to you or selected by you in a reasonable manner. You will not damage or restrict other users' enjoyment of the bicycle, which may include damaging, breaking, or destroying the bicycle, hiding the bicycle from a public view or tampering with the bicycle in a manner that restricts other use.
You will only park the bicycle provided to or selected in places or areas where parking is permitted or not prohibited.
You will only use the bicycle provided to or selected to you in Singapore (including outlying areas and territories such as Sentosa Island). You will not transfer the bicycle to any location outside Singapore.
You should obey the laws, especially road safety when riding a bicycle:
- Do not cycle on expressways and on restricted roads
- Do not cycle against the flow of traffic
- Do not use any mobile phone devices while riding a bicycle
- Cycle on the leftmost lane where possible
- Do not operate a bicycle under the influence of alcohol
- Wear necessary safety gears (helmet, protective pads and proper shoes) to mitigate the risk of personal injury
When you complete the use of bicycle, you have to indicate the completion of the ride in application by clicking "END OF USE" and lock the bicycle. If you fail to comply, you will continue to incur usage fees at our prevailing rates.
Colours[]
- Obike - Silver and Yellow
- Ofo - Yellow
- Mobike - Silver and Orange
References[]
External links[]
Template:Commonscat
- Template:Official website
Template:Bicycle sharing systems