Slow road for new bike share scheme
THEY are the bright orange bikes for public use that are failing to resonate across the Gold Coast.
The bike share scheme, which launched last month, is a partnership between Burleigh-based bus company Transit Australia Group and the world’s largest bike share operator Mobike.
But when the Bulletin hit Surfers Paradise at the weekend, we discovered a distinct lack of interest in hiring the bikes, but some concern over the way they are being left lying around.
Operators of the councilinitiated scheme said they hoped the world-first “hybrid dockless” system would prevent the cycles from being piled up on beaches, in rivers and up trees the way they had in other cities like Sydney and Melbourne.
However, just a few weeks in, some locals were already describing the bikes as an eyesore.
“I’ve seen them laying around everywhere, there was even one on the bridge next to the casino on Saturday night,” interstate tourist Mitchell Thompson said.
“I think they need a better system for how they return the bikes ... I haven’t seen anyone actually using them.”
Ashmore locals Ja Aviu, 19, and Hayley Gill, 18, said they “probably wouldn’t” use
the bikes either. “To be honest I don’t think they’re something that young people would use,” Mr Aviu said.
“They might be more of a tourist thing.”
The GPS-tracked bikes – up to 2000 will be rolled out in time for the Commonwealth Games – can be unlocked using a QR code with two crews monitoring the condition of bikes, which will be located and redistributed to high-demand areas by two crews every day.
TAG Mobility general manager Derek Mollison said the Gold Coast scheme was different from other cities’ failed programs as it was integrated with existing public transport and was developed alongside the council.
“The great thing about a dockless system is the flexibility, that you can drop them off anywhere,” he said.
“But one of the beauties of this hybrid model is that it makes it easier for users to pick them up from a convenient location.”
This means bikes aren’t restricted to major hubs like Surfers Paradise or Broadbeach.
Instead, bikes are being ridden as far inland as Benowa and left on the side of the road or outside cafes and restaurants, as is the case on Chevron Island.
“They’re left all around the place here,” a Chevron Island cafe manager, who did not want to be named, said.
“I didn’t know about them until recently. It’s strange they don’t need to be returned to a dock.
“We actually had one sitting outside the cafe and our owner said ‘if it’s not gone in 15 minutes let’s move it’. They’re a bit of an eyesore.”