No bike? Try Mobike, a bicycle-sharing service set to change the way you move around.
In January this year, oBike quietly launched the first non-station smart bike-sharing system in Singapore. On a mission to revolutionise short distance transportation through technology, oBike is all about convenience, speed and affordability.
oBike: Source ofo: Source Mobike: Source
A month later, China-based ofo joined the party, with an even more competitive price of 50c per trip compared to oBike’s price of $1 for every 30 mins. And now in March, we have a new player vying to capture a share of the bike-sharing market: Mobike. This Chinese firm launched in Shanghai a year ago, and has more than a million bicycles across 33 cities in China. So far, Mobike has raised over $425M in funding for Singapore, with Tencent and Temasek Holdings among the investors.
With the Singapore government looking to develop a National Cycling Plan with an extensive network of cycling paths, bike-sharing companies like these see a bright future in Singapore. However, the emergence of these commercial operations may disrupt the national bike sharing scheme which is slated to launch by the end of 2017.
Government or Commercial?
The influx of private bike-sharing services has prompted the Government to reassess the national bike-sharing scheme, said Second Transport Minister Ng Chee Meng during the debate on his ministry’s budget.
Proponents of the government scheme believe that it is more sustainable in the long run as compared to commercial companies which run on revenue. On the other hand, many are interested in the viability of bike share operators in Singapore, which offer competition for more affordable and efficient services.
Pros and Cons
All 3 firms, oBike, ofo and Mobike utilise smart bikes which employ dock-less systems. This means that the bicycles can be parked anywhere, rather than at fixed parking stations. While such a system offers great convenience to users, many problems such as theft and improper parking have arose. In Singapore, several town councils have received complaints that the smart bikes were parked in front of access points like dry risers, posing a potential hazard to our safety.
To tackle issues of misuse and encourage responsible bike-sharing behaviour among users, Mobike’s GPS technology enables it to track bicycles that have been inappropriately returned or damaged. Similar to the other two firms, Mobike rewards users with credits for reporting and returning stray bikes.
In line with Singapore’s goal of sustaining green city living, Mobike’s environmentally friendly solar-powered bikes have been well-received, as users left positive reviews on its website.
Mobiker Alex shared that “the freedom it gives the user is incredible! It’s also really cool to cycle around and rediscover the city and its hidden gems & locations!” Another user Tian Jin Huo commented that “After trying Mobike for 2 days, the greatest benefit was that I could park the bike at any public parking area. This is a strong advantage as compared to other public bicycle services in operation.”
Let’s compare the three brands
Here’s a simple breakdown on where these cycles can be found and how to use them:
Swap your next cab ride for a mini workout on these smart-bikes. You’ll be able to save some cash and do good for our environment.
