Dockless bike sharing scheme to launch in Sheffield

Ofo have said that the police aren't supposed to be "collecting" them anyway.

I imagine, from the amount of "Abandoned" bikes posted on facebook by people (for "Abandoned" read "Parked up safely and within the geofence"), police are sick of hearing about them.

Why do people seem to WANT any scheme fo fail? In such a hurry to gleefully post how the bikes are being "abandoned" by being parked up when that's what they are for!

I imagine, from the amount of "Abandoned" bikes posted on facebook by people (for "Abandoned" read "Parked up safely and within the geofence"), police are sick of hearing about them.

 

Why do people seem to WANT any scheme fo fail? In such a hurry to gleefully post how the bikes are being "abandoned" by being parked up when that's what they are for!

I'm still not sure what people mean when they say 'abandoned' either in relation to this scheme! I suppose if they're lobbed in a canal they might have a point...but otherwise, what's the criteria?!

Police are refusing to collect the many vandalised bikes around.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-42705531

Apelike, where does it say MANY bikes? According to OFO it currently has 12 cycles needing repair after vandalism. Not many in the scheme of things.

Surely as they are using a mobile app they can trace the people who have had the bikes and dumped them and be recompensed.

Why don't the company make it clear that if the bike is not re-docked after use then there will be a certain amount of money taken from the account holder.

I'm not convinced its the people who are riding them who are then 'dumping' the bikes - it will be the numpties who think its hilarious to deliberately vandalise and/or pick bikes up and dump them elsewhere who are causing the problems. From what I've read, they eventually lose interest and let the people who genuinely want to use the bikes get on with it.

Surely as they are using a mobile app they can trace the people who have had the bikes and dumped them and be recompensed.

Why don't the company make it clear that if the bike is not re-docked after use then there will be a certain amount of money taken from the account holder.

The point is that they don't have docks, just a wheel lock. You can just pick them up and carry them around if you really want to but it means that you can find one and leave one where it's convenient for you instead of a dock that could be inconvenient.

From this article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-42705531

It states:

Ofo say a team of six bike engineers drive around the city daily repairing and maintaining bikes reported as damaged.

The bikes are hired at £1 an hour.

How on earth is this company making a profit if they have six engineers driving around the city performing repairs?

From this article:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-42705531

 

It states:

 

 

 

The bikes are hired at £1 an hour.

 

How on earth is this company making a profit if they have six engineers driving around the city performing repairs?

1000 bikes available at £1 per hour, if each bike is used for only 3 hours a day £21,000 per week revenue. Bikes from China are not expensive even at a retail price.

https://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_en&CatId=&SearchText=Bikes

From this article:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-42705531

 

It states:

 

 

 

The bikes are hired at £1 an hour.

 

How on earth is this company making a profit if they have six engineers driving around the city performing repairs?

Probably the "engineers" will be on part time 15 hrs per week contracts at minimum wage and only travelling as and when needed.

Probably the "engineers" will be on part time 15 hrs per week contracts at minimum wage and only travelling as and when needed.

Zero-hours contracts probably.

Zero-hours contracts probably.

Probably not- the company's website states:

"ofo UK is proud to be a living wage employer"

Not used one myself. I subscribe to the decades-old cycle ownership model of owning a bike. But might use one in another city.