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.

UTC

Related Content

  • January 2, 2019
    HART uses Init’s e-fare system for buses in Hawaii
    The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) in Hawaii is trialing Holo Card, an account-based electronic fare system from Init, over a three-month period. It will then be made available on all buses owned by Oahu Transit Services. The e-fare system will allow passengers using Oahu’s TheBus service to load passes or add value via their mobile device on route to board a bus or by visiting a local retail outlet. This project stems from an agreement with the City and County of Honolulu Department
  • December 19, 2018
    Enterprise CarShare brings service to University of Delaware
    Enterprise CarShare has launched a short-term car rental service aimed at University of Delaware (UD) students and staff. Delaware is the latest campus to sign up for the service, which targets people who typically need a vehicle for just a few hours. Richard Rind, UD’s director of auxiliary services, says: “Many UD students and community members don’t have access to a car to take them where they need to go.” The service, part of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, will initially cost UD members $5 per hour which in
  • September 28, 2018
    Shohoz receives $15m fund to expand ride-sharing in Bangladesh
    Ride-sharing company Shohoz will use a $15m investment from venture capital firm Golden Gates Ventures to expand its on-demand service in Bangladesh. A report by the Dhaka Tribune says the company is now launching its ‘super-app’ strategy which will add food deliveries to its current offering. Maliha M Quadir, Shohoz founder and managing director, says: “To help Shohoz finance this growth, we have brought on board a great line-up of experienced international and regional investors, who I think will help
  • October 14, 2019
    Most pedestrian detection systems ‘hit pedestrians at 30mph’
    In-car automatic emergency braking systems with pedestrian detection mostly fail to avoid hitting pedestrians - and are “completely ineffective at night”, according to new research. In shocking findings, the American Automobile Association (AAA) revealed that most systems hit a simulated pedestrian target at 30mph. A collision also occurred 89% of the time when a vehicle operating at 20mph encountered a child darting between two cars. In tests, all vehicles collided with an adult pedestrian immediately fo