oBike

oBike Asia Pte Ltd
Industry Transportation
Founded January 2017 (2017-01)
Headquarters Singapore
Areas served
Products Dockless bicycle sharing services
Website o.bike

oBike is a Singapore-based stationless bicycle-sharing system with operations in several countries. The bikes have a built-in lock and GPS system and can therefore be left anywhere at the end of a journey, not just at a docking station. Users use a smartphone app to locate and hire bikes. It launched in Singapore in February 2017 and has since expanded to Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.[1]

oBikes, Putney Bridge Approach, London, July 2017

The system

The Lock of oBike.

The cycles are single speed with a plastic chainguard, short mudguards on both wheels, front and rear rim brakes, and dynamo electric lights.

To make use of the system, one must download the oBike application, register and pay a deposit. The App is used to borrow and return the bicycles and users are charged by quarter or half-hour, with payment applied to their Credit/Debit card. To ride bikes, users must have an internet connection and Bluetooth enabled on their mobile device to enable unlocking of their desired oBike, which is done by scanning the QR code or entering the corresponding bicycle number. If successful, the lock on the rear wheel opens automatically. Once users finish their ride, they need to manually lock and leave the bike in any legal parking spot to be ready for the next user. At the time of locking the bike the user must again ensure they have a Bluetooth and an internet connection, in order for the oBike system to record the end of the ride and correctly calculate the hire charge. If violations are reported, a credit system penalizes the corresponding user after a certain number of times, and in extreme cases, the user could be suspended from the platform.

Areas serviced

Asia

Singapore

When oBike first started its operations in Singapore, 1,000 oBike bicycles were rolled out across the city. [2] One month later, the Singapore Land Transport Authority rolled out bicycle parking zones in seven areas and in April, the company officially launched. Tampines Town Council is their partner for the Ride and Roll programme. [3] [4]

Taiwan

oBike’s Bicycle-sharing system began operations in Taiwan during April 2017 under the management of Taiwan’s Aozhi Network Technology Co., Ltd. As of 20 June 2017 oBike has set up shop in the cities of Keelung, New Taipei, Taipei, Hsinchu, Tainan and Kaohsiung as well as the counties of Nantou, Yilan, Hualien and Taitung.

oBikes, Taitung, Taiwan

Australia

oBike was the first bicycle sharing company that had extended their business to Melbourne, Australia in June 2017. [5]

Europe

Netherlands

The Netherlands was the first European country which oBike expanded to. They officially launched in Rotterdam and Amsterdam in June 2017. In August 2017 already forbidden.[6][7]

Switzerland

OBike's shared bicycle system in Switzerland began its operations in Zurich on July 2017, operated by oBike Swiss Ltd.[8] They have deployed approximately 350 bikes in the city of Zurich. In Switzerland, bike hire is CHF 1.50 for 30 minutes, with a CHF 129 deposit being required.[9]

United Kingdom

In July 2017 oBike launched in London, with 400 bikes and is anticipated to soon spread to other cities in the UK.[10][11] In the UK, bike hire is 50p for 30 minutes, with a £49 deposit being required.[10][12]

In Hammersmith and Fulham the local authority placed obstruction notices on some Obikes parked on the public highway.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Obike brings station-less hire bikes to London". Cyclist. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  2. ↑ Lim, Adrian (13 April 2017). "Bike-sharing start-up oBike officially launches, to offer Tampines residents free one-month usage". The Straits Times. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  3. ↑ "LTA rolls out bicycle parking zones". Channel News Asia. 28 March 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  4. ↑ Othman, Liyana (13 April 2017). "oBike to introduce points system that penalises 'ungracious' users". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  5. ↑ Zhou, Naaman (25 June 2017). "Dockless bike share: privacy and safety concerns voiced ahead of Sydney launch". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  6. ↑ Keunen, Yvonne (16 June 2017). "Rotterdam krijgt als eerste stad de deelfiets om overal te stallen". Algemeen Dagblad. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  7. ↑ Teuling, Ike (6 July 2017). "Concurrentiestrijd op deelfietsmarkt barst los in grote steden". de Volkskrant. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  8. ↑ Petrò, Lorenzo (14 July 2017). "Plötzlich hat Zürich einen mobilen Veloverleih". Tages-Anzeiger. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  9. ↑ Giusto, Lina (17 July 2017). "O-Bike nutzt gewisse Orte übermässig". Tages-Anzeiger. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  10. 1 2 Laura Laker (12 July 2017). "London's first dockless hire bike scheme launches | Environment". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  11. ↑ Sean Morrison. "Dockless Boris bike rival oBike launches in London with 400 cycles for hire | London Evening Standard". Standard.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  12. ↑ Burgess, Matt. "oBike is putting thousands of bikes on the streets of London | WIRED UK". Wired.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  13. ↑ City AM, http://www.cityam.com/268482/odear-obike-dockless-bike-startups-london-launch-doesnt-go
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