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Singapore-based bicycle-share firm oBike has “temporarily withdrawn” from Melbourne, according to city authorities.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Singapore-based bicycle-share firm oBike has “temporarily withdrawn” from Melbourne, according to city authorities.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.

UTC

Related Content

  • June 17, 2019
    Here’s HD AV map prepared for 5G
    The emergence of 5G may not be necessary to provide a high-definition map for autonomous driving, says Matt Preyss from Here Technologies. Ben Spencer asks why 5G is a hot topic worldwide, with the potential for faster transfer of information eagerly awaited by those convinced that it will be a game-changer for the ITS industry. High-definition (HD) maps are essential to allow autonomous vehicles (AVs) to understand their environment, and operate safely within it in relation to other road users and p
    Read More
  • July 8, 2019
    London needs just one road user charge, says report
    London’s patchwork of road charging schemes should be replaced by a single, distance-based user charge, according to new research. Apart from anything else, it would be much fairer… The UK capital’s multiple road charging schemes require a radical overhaul, according to a new report by the Centre for London thinktank. The suggested solution is to replace existing levies on drivers with a single, distance-based user charge which would more fairly reflect how much, and at what time, people are using London
    Read More
  • January 30, 2019
    Disability Rights California sues San Diego over dockless scooters
    While the clutter from mis-used dockless scooter schemes is frustrating for many, it is physically unsafe for some, according to a legal action in the US. Disability Rights California slams an ‘unregulated onslaught’ in its class action lawsuit against the City of San Diego and three dockless scooter firms: Lime, Bird and Razor. “This action challenges the failure of the City of San Diego and private companies to maintain the accessibility of the city’s public sidewalks, kerb ramps, crosswalks and transit
    Read More
  • June 13, 2018
    Singapore plans changes to transit system
    Singapore has the third-highest population density in the world and the numbers are continuing to grow. The government knows that transit is vital: David Crawford investigates the city state’s Smart Nation strategy. Transport is the most important of the five domains identified as the pillars of Singapore's far-reaching Smart Nation strategy, launched in November 2014 by prime minister Lee Hsien Loong with the aim of reaching fulfilment by 2024. Roads account for 12% of the island republic's 719km2 land ar
    Read More

Highlighted Content