Are Mobikes reaching end of cycle?
CYCLE-SHARE OPERATOR REPORTED TO BE CONSIDERING ITS FUTURE IN REGION
MOBIKE is reportedly considering whether to continue operating in Newcastle and Gateshead.
The bike-sharing firm is said to be assessing its position following continued problems with vandalism.
Since they were launched in 2017, Mobikes have become a familiar sight across Tyneside.
The bikes, which can be hired using an app, have split opinion, with some praising the scheme, while others argue the distribution of bikes can look messy.
Mobike has faced problems with vandalism and dumping of its bikes, add The Journal has previously published photos of the distinctive orange two-wheelers dumped in busy areas and also in rivers.
And with Manchester on its “final warning” over spates of theft and vandalism, the firm is said to be considering its future in the North East.
According to The Guardian, every month this summer 10% of the Chinese firm’s bike fleet went missing in Manchester.
Steve Milton, Mobike’s global communications and marketing leader, told the paper: “This is not an idle threat. The losses are not sustainable. We are going to have to draw a line under this at some point.”
The Guardian reported that the firm is “assessing its position in Newcastle Gateshead” where there have been issues with vandals - though “not on the same scale” as in Manchester.
In Newcastle, bikes have been spotted on fences or dumped in rivers.
Mobike did not respond to requests for comment on the firm’s current position in the North East.
However in June, Lindsay Coulthard of Mobike said: “We, Newcastle Council and Northumbria Police are working closely to avoid these issues, which includes potential prosecutions.”