Mobike launches in Sydney adding more heat to booming bike-sharing market
Mobike, the Chinese share-bike company, has continued its global expansion launching in Sydney Australia and appointing a general manager.
Mobike rolls into Sydney
The Sydney launch of Mobike, which claims to be the world’s largest smart bike-share platform, comes just weeks after rival Chinese bicycle company Ofo rolled out its distinctive yellow bikes in the city.
In a sign of the competition set to be unleashed in Australia, Mobike is offering free rides throughout November and requiring just a $1 deposit to sign up for the service.
Both Mobike and Ofo have announced plans to expand throughout Australia, with Mobike also launching in the Gold Coast, while Ofo has launched in Adelaide.
Mobike has also appointed Mina Nada as general manager of Australia, tasked with growing the company’s local team and partnerships. Nada joins from food delivery company Deliveroo.
The launch of the Chinese companies adds to Australia’s booming bike-share market which, like in many other cities around the world, have come under fire for cluttering pavements and creating rubbish when vandalised and abandoned by users.
Nada said: “We are aware of the issues which have arisen with existing bike-share offerings and our top priority is to demonstrate how we’re fundamentally different. Advocating the responsible and safe use of our bikes, including when parking, is critical, but we’ll go much further than that thanks to our highly-experienced team on the ground, as well as our GPS-embedded smart-locks combined with our AI capabilities.”
The Australian launch follows launches in South Korea, Thailand, the UK and Singapore as part of the company's global expansion plan.