People are getting familiar with the concept of ride sharing transport and a lot have heard about bicycle sharing services abroad.
Pune was the first city in India to officially cater a station less bicycle sharing service introduced by Chinese company ‘Mobike’.
What Are Mobikes & How Do They Work?
Mobike is a Chinese company which provide a full station less bicycle sharing system. In December 2016 the company made Shanghai the world’s largest bike-share city.
Mobike is the perfect solution for solving the short distance connectivity problems in the city.
Related: Why I Prefer To Drive A Scooty Over A Car Or A Bike
Operating a Mobike is very simple and all that is required is a mobile phone with a local number.
You can either pay per ride or create a monthly pass for operating the bikes and they have even added UPI as a payment option for Indian users.
You have to use your app to locate the nearest bike and unlock it via the app, that’s it. After you are done using your bike all you have to do is lock it and walk away.
Will Mobike Work In India?
We cannot deny that Mobike is the need of the hour in India with the rising pollution levels in every city.
Mobike made their Indian debut by providing its service in Pune. They have tied up with Pune Municipal Corporation who have provided them parking spaces for the bikes at every 100-150 meters.
Other competition aside, the biggest threat to their operation will come from the people itself. We have a bad reputation when it comes to theft and vandalism.
Mobike had to stop it services in Manchester because of unsustainable losses due to theft and vandalism. 10% of the bikes were either stolen or damaged in Manchester. Bikes with broken locks (trackers) were seen in use by people on the outskirts of the city.
Who is to say that the same scenario won’t play out in India? However, if people adopt the use of Mobike in a civil manner, we might just be able to make a difference in citywide congestion and help in reducing our carbon footprint.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Guardian, Economic Times, Mobike + more
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