Chinese company pulls station- free bikes out of Chicago because of restrictions
A Chinese company that bills itself as the “world leader in stationfree bike sharing” on Monday pulled its 50 bikes out of Chicago in response to locking requirements that tied the company’s hands.
Ofo said it could not provide “meaningful service” in a pilot area that includes 20 square miles of the Far South Side not served by Divvy under revised rules that confine vendors whose bikes are not locked to stationary objects to just 50 bikes while those that include the “lock- to” technology can have 350 bikes.
“It’s been a pleasure serving the Far South Side over the past two months, but unfortunately the City’s restrictive regulations have made it impossible for us to continue providing our more accessible and convenient transit option,” Ofo spokesman Jordan Levine was quoted in an emailed statement.
“We will continue to work with city officials and hope to one day again offer affordable mobility solutions to everyone across Chicago.”
Ofo contends that the Emanuel administration’s policy change “chooses winners and losers instead of letting consumers decide which product and service” best satisfies their needs.
The revised policy gives Uber/ JUMP and Zagster/ Pace an unfair advantage, Ofo contends.
The company further noted that “lock- to” bikes do not alleviate street clutter. They can still be “locked to anything including private property” and “still block the right of way.”
If riders can’t find something to lock the bike to, they often just leave it freestanding, Ofo contends.
Chicago Department of Transportation spokesman Mike Claffey had no immediate comment on Ofo’s decision to withdraw from the Chicago market.
The city’s original plan gave dockless bike- sharing companies, now conducting a test run on the Far South Side, a July 1 deadline to have locking equipment that allowed the bikes to be tethered to a sign post, bike rack or other fixed object. Possibilities included a cable or U- lock system similar to those that cyclists use.
But when LimeBike and Ofo complained about the locking requirement, the Emanuel administration backed off, but in a way that benefited Uber— again.
LimeBike and Ofo were allowed to continue operating with a wheellock technology at a fleet size of 50 until the pilot program ends on Nov. 1.
Those same companies were free to expand their Chicago operations, but only if they comply with the Lock- To requirement.
At the same time, CityHall raised the maximum number of bikes — from 250 to 350 — for Uber and other companies with bikes that include the “lock- to” technology.
Uber rolled out its JUMP dockless bike- sharing service last week using the “lock to” technology — just in time to take advantage of the new 350- bike limit.