New green scheme rolls out on two wheels
Print Edition
JUMPING on a bicycle to get to your destination instead of driving or taking the Metro is now going to be a lot easier with the launch of a new green transport scheme.
After a four-month trial run in Xuhui District, a new bicycle hire service made a well-received debut over the weekend, coinciding with the celebration of Earth Day.
Beijing Mobike Technology Co’s “Mobike” service will eventually be expanded right across the city, offering about 50,000 bicycles, the company said. So far there are about 1,000 of the special bicycles available, mainly in Xuhui District and some other central areas.
The bicycles are fitted with special chips, GPS and sensors, which make it easy to locate them and record the routes they travel.
Using an app, a user can easily find the “Mobike” nearest to them and scan a QR code to unlock it. After arriving at their destination, the user can park it in a designated area so that it can be taken by another user or retrieved by the company.
“Our team first came up with the idea after we noticed the frequent traffic congestion in the city and the pollution emitted from the vehicles, which worsens Shanghai’s smoggy conditions. We thought we should do something to change it,” said Wang Xiaofeng, an ex-Uber executive who is now in charge of the scheme.
“We considered that for a short trip, for example, less than 5 kilometers, riding a bicycle will create less traffic and be more environmentally friendly than driving a car,” Wang told Shanghai Daily.
“But we found that those who ride bicycles are mainly two kinds of people — the elderly, and youngsters preferring fashionable designs such as the mountain bike.”
Wang and his team developed an app that makes the whole bicycle renting and return process something that can be completed online.
They also improved the design by making the wheels sturdier and using an attractive and rust-resistant frame, said Wang.
“To attract more users, the cost should also be low.”
After paying a 299-yuan (US$45) deposit, a 30-minute ride costs the user 1 yuan, which is deducted from money the user has placed in their Mobike account. At least 10 yuan is required for one recharge, and the deposit is returned to the user’s account if they choose to close it.
Shanghai Daily downloaded the app for testing purposes. After entering the system, an orange bicycle icon shows all the available Mobikes in the surrounding areas.
In addition to a deposit, users need to provide their mobile phone number, identity and identity card number.
“Our app also has an English version for foreigners,” Wang said.
“If your cellphone’s language is set as English, the app’s service language will be transferred to English as well.”
“We now have users from 10 countries. But since foreigners don’t have an identity card in China, they can take a picture of their passport or other documents and upload it for us to verify,” Wang explained.
Each Mobike has its own ID and after you click the unlock button on the screen and point the cellphone’s camera at the code displayed on the bike’s handles, an electric lock opens within 10 seconds.
If it is so dark that the camera cannot read the code, the user can turn on the app’s flashlight or type in the bike’s ID.
After the user gets to their destination, they can park the bike in any roadside public parking area marked with white lines on the ground. The timer stops as soon as the bike is locked.
Journey time, distance covered, number of calories burned, and carbon emission prevented are saved by the app.
The app also provides a bicycle booking service, giving users 15 minutes to get to the bike they wish to use.
Wang said three obstacles to expansion of the service remain: some districts, the Pudong New Area in particular, don’t have enough public parking to accommodate the company’s bikes; the authorities cannot issue number plates quickly enough; and there are not enough bike lanes.
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