Calvin Cheng used to spend half an hour walking from the subway to his office. Now, he spends that extra time in bed -- thanks to bike-sharing apps.Known as the "uber for cyclists," the apps allow users to rent bicycles which need no docking stations.Left anywhere in public areas, bicycles are located and unlocked via a GPS system controlled by a smartphone app. After an initial deposit of about $20 up to $60, each ride costs about 20 cents. Calvin Cheng praises the whole system.
China now has about 40 bike-sharing companies, a billion-dollar industry.The industry leaders, OFO and Mobike, have millions of bicycles located in over 30 Chinese cities.The vast numbers are great for users, but Beijing-based urban planner Jasmine Tillu says they can be a headache for the city.
Once the kingdom of bicycles, China has shifted to the reign of cars these days. Its modern cities are ill-equipped to deal with the sudden shared-bike boom. Earlier this month, the southern city of Shenzhen banned their use on public holidays after thousands of shared bicycles were brought into a public park, causing chaos. Still, the so-called "last kilometre" transport solution has attracted millions of users. And even Jasmine Tillu admits the pros outweigh the cons.
Now, the technology is being trialled in places around the world like Singapore, San Francisco and Cambridge. Beijing's newest shared-bike company, Bluegogo, is in talks to trial them in Sydney. Chief operating officer Ye Sun says he is hopeful about bringing the model to Australia.
Bluegogo says it is still working through the challenges of bringing the model to Australia, including compulsory helmets. For now, Ye Sun says, it remains focused on China, putting as many as 15,000 bicycles on the streets in one day.
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