Melbourne and bike-share firm oBike part ways

Singapore-based bicycle-share firm oBike has “temporarily withdrawn” from Melbourne, according to city authorities. Unlike many other bike-share schemes worldwide, oBike has no docking stations – and this has meant that oBikes have been abandoned around the city by users. Pictures of the distinctive yellow bikes in trees, on bus shelters and in the Yarra river circulated widely on social media. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city and the company says that oBike is responsible for ensu
June 20, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
Singapore-based bicycle-share firm oBike has “temporarily withdrawn” from Melbourne, according to city authorities. Unlike many other bike-share schemes worldwide, oBike has no docking stations – and this has meant that oBikes have been abandoned around the city by users.


Pictures of the distinctive yellow bikes in trees, on bus shelters and in the Yarra river circulated widely on social media.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city and the company says that oBike is responsible for ensuring that its bikes do not obstruct footpath access, are parked upright at all times, are not parked on traffic islands or against trees, buildings, light poles or street furniture and that “any dangerously-placed oBikes are relocated within two hours”.

The city has the power to confiscate and impound the bikes. On its Twitter feed, the City of Melbourne announced: “We're working closely with them to remove the remaining oBikes. We recommend people stop using @AustraliaObike & have asked the company to switch off their booking facility.”

But the city has suggested that new legislation is required, and says it has asked Victoria’s state government “to establish more fit-for-purpose overall regulatory arrangements as a matter of priority. While this MOU is a step in the right direction, the development of dockless bike sharing requires specific regulatory responses that are not currently available to local governments”.

The Melbourne Bike Share service, which requires bikes to be picked up and returned to designated docking stations, continues to be available.

Urban Traffic Control

Related Content

  • January 16, 2019
    Most EU motorists want legislation on vehicle data, says survey
    The overwhelming majority of European road users want laws to protect their rights when it comes to the data their vehicle generates while driving. A new survey, by FIA Region I across 15 countries, found that 93% of motorists support the need for dedicated legislation to ensure their consumer rights and data protection. This is not to suggest that people have a problem with vehicle data per se – for example, 88% are happy to share remotely their location and vehicle status with roadside assistance provid
    Read More
  • March 17, 2017
    Better websites build smarter transport participation
    Transport initiatives are gaining traction through well-designed websites. Four European smart transport-oriented websites have gained honours in the 2016 .eu Web Awards, an online competition inaugurated in 2014 to recognise the most impressive sites within the .eu internet domain in terms of their design and content. The four were among 15 finalists across all five categories of the scheme, giving the transport sector a high profile for its proactive use of sites as communications tools for driving major
    Read More
  • March 28, 2014
    TfL and Clear Channel team on interactive London bus stop
    Transport for London (TfL) has partnered with media and advertising company Clear Channel UK to trial a real-time mapping tool at a Regent Street, London, bus stop. The new mapping tool, said to be the first of its kind to operate in a UK bus shelter, was developed and funded by Clear Channel to coincide with the Year of the Bus - a celebration of both the heritage of London buses and a look ahead to their future.
    Read More
  • March 19, 2014
    Videalert provides full time enforcement with part time workload
    Videalert says its algorithms on automated enforcement can reduce the workload on staff while providing an effective deterrent to offenders. Colin Sowman reports. While members of the public may believe that the enforcement of parking regulations, bus lanes and box junctions has no practical benefit and is purely a money-making operation, for many authorities the opposite is true. Enforcement is a loss-making but vital exercise as illegally parked vehicles create obstructions and dangers leading to gridl
    Read More

Highlighted Content