Competition is a good thing, right? The more options we have the more companies need to work harder to get us to use their stuff – from special offers to better products. Keeping our fingers tightly crossed, we’re hoping the fourth – yes, fourth – bike-share company to launch in Sydney will bring us more competitive prices, better maintenance of the poor bikes we see strewn across the streets, and maybe even hairnets for those shared helmets.
Say hi to Mobike – the newest addition to the bike rental market that’s taken over Sydney’s street corners. The global company has dropped 500 new bikes in the Green Square area. They say their mission is to “deliver a better bike-share experience to Australia” and to prove it they’re offering free rides on all their bikes for the rest of the month, provided you sign up and pay a $1 deposit.
Mobike are aware they’re launching in a crowded market, fourth to Reddygo, Obike and Ofo. To help them maintain their fleet they’ve partnered with Sydney Bike Tours and Vodaphone, and they’ve appointed a local GM with previous experience at Deliveroo. General manager Mina Nada says they’re aware of the issues bike-share companies are facing, stating that their technology enables around-the-clock visibility for the local operations team.
Other differences include having an alarm to alert the team when a bike is relocated improperly, chain-less bikes and the ability to monitor the need for bikes depending on variants like traffic and the weather.
Once December rolls around, Mobike’s prices will be $2.49 for 30 minutes, which is more expensive per ride than its competitors. You’ll also need to pay $99 deposit. They say the more you ride the cheaper the cost will be and they also operate a credit system, which rewards users for good practice and deducts credits for misbehaviour – like dumping a bike when intercepted by the police.
To give Mobike a shot, download their app from the App Store or Google Play.