Skip to main content

Ofo ‘scales back’ bike sharing operations in US

Chinese bike sharing company Ofo is scaling back its US operations and has laid off employees from multiple departments. The move, according to a report by Quartz, will allow the company to refocus on markets in a bid to become profitable. The start-up plans to continue operating in US cities such as Seattle, San Diego and New York. According to Quartz, the company is also leaving Australia and Israel and reducing operations in the UK. The company operates yellow bicycles which riders can rent thro
July 24, 2018 Read time: 1 min
Chinese bike sharing company Ofo is scaling back its US operations and has laid off employees from multiple departments. The move, according to a report by %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external Quartz false https://qz.com/1331368/bike-sharing-company-ofo-is-dramatically-scaling-back-in-north-america/?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Issue:%202018-07-20%20Smart%20Cities%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:16284%5D&amp;utm_term=Smart%20Cities%20Dive false false%>, will allow the company to refocus on markets in a bid to become profitable.


The start-up plans to continue operating in US cities such as Seattle, San Diego and New York.

According to Quartz, the company is also leaving Australia and Israel and reducing operations in the UK.

The company operates yellow bicycles which riders can rent through a mobile app for around £1 per minute or one hour ride, depending on the city.

Ofo was founded in 2014 by students at Beijing’s Peking University and entered the US last year with the intention of offering a transportation option that could cover first- or last-mile trips.

Related Content

  • Hurricane preparedness and crash reduction projects are among inaugural NOCoE award winners
    December 4, 2018
    A project to avert transport chaos in hurricane season and a programme which led to a huge reduction in road crashes were among the big winners in a new US awards scheme. The US National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)’s inaugural Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) Awards were open to cities, counties, metropolitan or rural planning organisations, state departments of transportation (DoTs) and private companies. Patrick Son, managing director of NOCoE, says 60 entries high
  • Morelock and 3M cement longstanding partnership
    March 21, 2018
    Another decade of cooperation between 3M and its long-standing UK sign manufacturer client Morelock Group was cemented with firm handshakes on the 3M stand yesterday. Morelock has purchased a Durst Rho 163 TS printing system after a decade of operating the previous model, a Rho 161. The new printer can produce more than 25m² per hour on 1,220mm-wide media in high-quality mode for traffic sign use. It uses specially designed 3M Piezo InkJet 8900UV series inks on 3M reflective sheeting as well as rigid
  • US DOT issues RFP for connected vehicle pilot deployment and program evaluation
    May 5, 2016
    The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has released a solicitation for a full and open competition to procure services for non-personal, technical support services for the Connected Vehicle Pilot deployment and program evaluation. The Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment program includes three phases: Phase 1: Concept Development Phase, Phase 2: Design/Build/Test (for which this solicitation will ascertain that the objectives of the program are met), and Phase 3: Maintain and Operate.
  • Keolis Shanghai opens first section of Songjiang tram line
    January 9, 2019
    Keolis Shanghai, a joint venture with Shanghai Shentong Metro, has opened the first section of the Songjiang tram line, offering connections to Shanghai Metro Line 6. The first phase is expected to transport 170,00 passengers per day. The 13.9km route runs across Songjiang, a suburban district, and includes 20 stations from Canghua Rd station in the west to Zhongchen Rd station in the east which serves residential areas and universities. The service is being operated with 15 Citadis trams manufacture