Dockless bike-share company Ofo is first to exit the District of Columbia
WASHINGTON: Chinese bikesharing start-up Ofo said it is scaling back its US operations and pulling out of several cities, including the US capital.
The company is closing out operations in the District of Columbia after a nine-month run in a market where it struggled to get the city to ease regulations, chiefly to lift the restriction that caps its fleet at 400 bikes.
Ofo is the first of seven operators in the District to pull out of the city’s dockless pilot programme amid growing tension between the industry and city government. Operators, including Ofo, have said the District’s restrictions on the number of vehicles they can operate have hindered their ability to effectively serve the entire city and make a profit.
The dockless bikes, which rent for as little as US$ 1, have been scattered on city sidewalks since the District launched a try- out in September; electric scooters followed this spring. The pilot was scheduled to end in April but was extended to the end of August.
In recent months, the D.C. Department of Transportation has denied requests from the industry to change the regulation to allow more bikes on city streets. City transportation officials said they will make a determination about fleet size and other regulations for a permanent programme after the pilot ends next month.
When asked about Ofo’s departure, DDOT Director Jeff Marootian said in a statement Monday that the pilot programme was designed to help the agency determine the most effective approach for introducing the dockless technology to the District while ensuring public safety.
“We appreciate the participation of all the companies and look forward to using the information collected during the demonstration project to arrive at long-term options for the use of dockless vehicles in the District,” he said. — Washington Post