Dockless bike sharing scheme to launch in Sheffield

sorry to disappoint you but it turns out a few Sheffield vandals are insignificant in OFOs global restructure

 

https://cyclingindustry.news/ofo-scaling-back-operations-around-the-globe-uk-staff-let-go/

Sounds like 'restructuring' might simply mean 'going bust' then.....

I was speaking to a friend at the university who has been involved with the OFO operation - Sheffield isn’t the only place where vandalism has occurred, it was just the BBC media who went out of their way to make Sheffield sound like the capital of vandalism. OFO are downscaling their Operations to major cities in the world only to places like London, Paris, Milan etc. After announcing the withdrawal from Sheffield, a few days later, they announced other towns/cities in the UK and other parts of the world. I think Cllr. Jack is trying to encourage another operator to come up with a replacement scheme.

Is it actually an OFO bike or just a regular one painted yellow to celebrate the TDF or TDY?

 

http://photosofyorkshire.com/yorkshire's-yellow-bike-tour

It is one of the ofo bikes, still has the wheel lock thingy on .

---------- Post added 13-07-2018 at 22:05 ----------

How about reporting it to Ofo?

Nah, its much more fun waiting to see if they can find it through the tracker.

I was speaking to a friend at the university who has been involved with the OFO operation - Sheffield isn’t the only place where vandalism has occurred, it was just the BBC media who went out of their way to make Sheffield sound like the capital of vandalism. OFO are downscaling their Operations to major cities in the world only to places like London, Paris, Milan etc. After announcing the withdrawal from Sheffield, a few days later, they announced other towns/cities in the UK and other parts of the world. I think Cllr. Jack is trying to encourage another operator to come up with a replacement scheme.

The University closed down their own (docked) bike hire scheme when Ofo started theirs. Don't think I ever saw anybody riding one of the University ones so it wasn't much of a loss.

Seems a bit unlikely that another operator would open up here given all the adverse publicity about Ofo.

The University closed down their own (docked) bike hire scheme when Ofo started theirs. Don't think I ever saw anybody riding one of the University ones so it wasn't much of a loss.

 

Seems a bit unlikely that another operator would open up here given all the adverse publicity about Ofo.

The docked schemes cost a lot to run. Even the London one needs "sponsorship" to cover its costs.

The University one was used, I saw people on them, but it was costly to operate.

There was another Ofo type operator wanting to come into Sheffield after Ofo first set up here.

They didn't operate like a normal company. It wouldn't have cost much at all to send all Sheffield users an e-mail or in app message that they were leaving. Instead we found out through third party news websites. No firm dates given, no nothing. Hardly any bikes left.

heard from the now redundant boss of OFO in Sheffield via a mate who attends the Council cycle forum

OFO in Sheffield had the highest take up of any scheme in Europe in terms of journeys made so it seems people really loved it. They had planned to provide bikes for tramlines as well (like they did for peace in the park)

OFO in Sheffield had the highest number of thefts and vandalism they had ever encountered.

It seems it wasn't just a few kids nicking them. Flatbed trucks were seen going to where they had just seeded a new bunch of OFOs, loading them all up and heading off. They have been taking 100s of them

Number plates and details were passed on to SYP but they weren't interested.

Moot point now that they are closing down operations across many other cities.

heard from the now redundant boss of OFO in Sheffield via a mate who attends the Council cycle forum

 

OFO in Sheffield had the highest take up of any scheme in Europe in terms of journeys made so it seems people really loved it. They had planned to provide bikes for tramlines as well (like they did for peace in the park)

 

OFO in Sheffield had the highest number of thefts and vandalism they had ever encountered.

 

It seems it wasn't just a few kids nicking them. Flatbed trucks were seen going to where they had just seeded a new bunch of OFOs, loading them all up and heading off. They have been taking 100s of them

 

Number plates and details were passed on to SYP but they weren't interested.

 

Moot point now that they are closing down operations across many other cities.

Thats really quite sad.

With the number of professional scrap merchants in the area and beyond the scheme was bound to attract the wrong kind of attention. It is too late now but would it have been worth OFO visiting to see if any had been sold for scrap?

With the number of professional scrap merchants in the area and beyond the scheme was bound to attract the wrong kind of attention. It is too late now but would it have been worth OFO visiting to see if any had been sold for scrap?

And of course the scrap merchants would have admitted buying them wouldnt they?

Does beg the question though, are there more scrap merchants in Sheffield or are they just more "criminally minded" ones

That's a false dichotomy, there's no evidence of "more of them" or "more criminally minded" than anywhere else.

There are fewer registered scrap metal dealers, per head of population, in Sheffield when compared to many other Local Authorities.

As a starter: 58 in Rotherham and 85 in Sheffield.