Over 22,000 share bike trips are being made across Sydney each week – that’s equal to 350 Sydney buses packed with passengers.
Two share bike companies are now operating in Sydney: Mobike, which has been in market for the past year, and new entry Lime, which introduced a fleet of electric bikes around 3 weeks ago.
“Sydney is one of our most active markets around the world,” said Mobike Head of International Operations Mark Lin.
“Since we launched 12 months ago, we’ve clocked over half a million rides and in some Sydney hotspots, bikes are turned over more than 6 times a day.”
“Our data shows people are riding Mobikes for short and long trips, for both weekday commuting and leisurely rides on the weekend.”
Mobike’s orange and white ‘new lite’ bikes are especially popular in the city centre and Green Square, where buses and trains are struggling to meet demand.
Since Lime e-bikes were launched, more than 30,000 trips have been recorded from the hilly eastern suburbs, through the city centre, to the inner west.
Around 1,500 Lime bikes have been deployed, backed by a team that monitors and replaces batteries.
“We’ve been surprised by the rapid take-up, with nearly 9,000 people signing up in our first two weeks in Sydney,” said William Peters, Lime’s Community Affairs Manager for Australia and New Zealand.
“The topography and climate here makes it ideal for e-bikes, which provide a little help up hills and when you’re getting a bit tired.”
“The average Lime ride is around 10 minutes or 2 kilometres. It’s a quick way of getting from A to B and getting some exercise along the way. We see an exciting future for e-bikes in Sydney.”
Share bikes should always be parked considerately. They should be parked at or near existing bike racks or in a safe place, keeping footpaths and building walls clear for people walking or travelling along the street.
Both Mobike and Lime follow the Inner Sydney guidelines for bike share, which set out safe and responsible operations for bike share companies.
Bike share schemes give people easy access to a bike so they can explore Sydney’s growing bike network.
The City of Sydney supports people to ride, with courses, free balance bike classes, free cycling maps, free tune-ups and events like the Sydney Rides Festival.
Published 5 December 2018
