Sydney, another 500 bicycles have been dumped in your city today, as we welcome the launch of Mobike, who are not to be mistaken with oBike, who should never been mixed up with Ofo, or the company that started this: Reddy Go (whose bike is feature in the photo above, which I snapped this morning, on Edgeware Rd.)
500 bikes were dropped around the district of Green Square, and will be operated (fished out of waterways) by a team from Sydney Bike Tours, “who have over 10 years of experience in bike touring and operations in Sydney.”
They are hoping to get a slice of the market by providing free rides all November, which is a very good way to stand out if you are a bike-sharing company, in Sydney, in 2017.
Here’s a (long) quote from Mina Nada, who launched Deliveroo in Australia, and will do likewise for Mobike as General Manager of Australia.
“We know that our technology and the quality of our bikes will attract many more Sydneysiders to the benefits of bikeshare, and we’re offering free rides for the month to entice people to discover Mobike for themselves. We’re hoping that just like the City of Gold Coast, Sydney will quickly recognise Mobike as the best bikeshare service available.
“We are aware of the issues which have arisen with existing bikeshare offerings and our top priority is to demonstrate how we’re fundamentally different. Advocating the responsible and safe use of our bikes, including when parking, is critical, but we’ll go much further than that thanks to our highly experienced team on the ground, as well as our GPS-embedded smart-locks combined with our AI capabilities.
“Mobike’s initial fleet is placed around the Green Square district. From our consultation with City of Sydney, we understand that this is an area where there are many people travelling towards the city each day, and buses and trains are often full. With Green Square set to have the highest population density in Australia, we see this as a clear pressure point on existing transport infrastructure where Mobike can add immediate value to Sydney. I’m looking forward to Sydneysiders discovering how Mobike offers reliable utility with added benefit a health kick and a positive environmental contribution.
“This is just the beginning for us in Australia. For us to succeed it’s critical that we deliver a valuable experience to Sydneysiders, but that we also collaborate closely with local councils to ensure this is done properly. Our close partnership with the City of Gold Coast will deliver preferred parking zones for our bikes, which will supplement standard, responsible parking options. We welcome all opportunities to work with other Australian councils in such a collaborative fashion to provide a positive and enriching bikeshare offer to more communities.”
