Uber takes Jump into bike-sharing business
Soon your Uber ride could have two wheels instead of four.
The ride-hailing app company announced Monday it has reached a deal to acquire bike-sharing service Jump.
The deal accelerates Uber’s entry into the rapidly expanding market for so-called “dockless” bikes, meaning riders can leave them in any bike rack when they reach their destinations. They don’t have to be “docked” in an official Jump stand. The bikes remain disabled until the next user unlocks them by using a code on their smartphone.
Jump had more than 12,000 bicycles in 40 cities across six countries in 2017. It is one of a bevy of start-ups from Washington, D.C., to San Diego offering electric scooters or bikes, a convenient way for people to commute between home and public transit. But they are controversial because of those services that, unlike Jump, allow them to be left behind on street corners or other places that clutter the cityscape.
Jump recently switched to custom- designed electric bikes, which make it easier to get around in hilly cities such as San Francisco, where Uber has been testing the service through its app.
Uber declined to provide details on plans to expand Jump bike-sharing or pricing plans. For now, the bikes cost $2 for 30 minutes of use.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a blog post the acquisition will help the company drive toward its goal of reducing car ownership.
“We’re committed to bringing together multiple modes of transportation within the Uber app — so that you can choose the fastest or most affordable way to get where you’re going, whether that’s in an Uber, on a bike, on the subway or more,” he said.
Jump CEO Ryan Rzepecki, who incorporated the company in 2010 and launched its first pilot a few years later, said the company’s brand will live on.
“We will remain good partners to cities while delivering excellent service to our riders,” he said in a blog post. “Together with Uber, I firmly believe we can make a more significant impact on the world.”