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YoBike the latest dockless bike-share firm looking to launch in Oxford

Council to set up code of conduct for bike-share firms

YoBike are the latest firm to have announced an intention to offer a dockless bike-share service in Oxford. The Chinese firm, which has operated in Bristol since April, follows Ofo in earmarking the city for a launch.

YoBike has been an at-times controversial operator in Bristol, having been accused of entering the Bath bike hire market ‘like a wrecking ball' after its bikes started appearing in the city despite rival firm nextbike having a contract with the council.

The rapid expansion and ‘disruptive’ approach of bike-share firms were cited as concerns by the European Cyclists Federation in a recent position paper on the nascent industry.

The organisation created a list of best practices which it says can help cities and relevant public authorities construct their own framework to manage the arrival of dockless bike sharing operators.

The Oxford Times reports that Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council and other partners, including the University of Oxford, are looking to set up a code of conduct for such companies to adhere to.

The code would require firms to pay the Oxford Living Wage of £8.45 per hour and ensure all bikes are maintained to a high standard.

Councillor Suzanne Bartington, Oxfordshire County Council’s cycling champion, commented: “As part of the county council’s plan to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality we are keen to encourage cycling across Oxfordshire.

“We believe that, if introduced in the right way, dockless bikes can provide a convenient travel option, encouraging more people to travel by bike cycle.

“We are committed to working with partner organisations including Oxford City Council and the University of Oxford to ensure dockless cycle operators are aware of our code of conduct for the benefit of all local residents and visitors.”

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7 comments

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Helmut D. Bate | 6 years ago
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Is it illegal to park a car on the pavement?

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WillRod | 6 years ago
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Supposedly it's illegal to just park a bike on the pavement as it is blocking the highway. The same reason you need a permit for a sign or chairs outside a cafe.

Because of that you have to lock the bike to a bike stand which is why they are slowly clogging up.

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don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
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You can see Mobikes left across Manchester on pavements, so they're obviously being used.

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jh27 | 6 years ago
1 like

I stand corrected  1  The abuse that they receive is starting to make sense now.

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WillRod | 6 years ago
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So nothing from the council forcing them to pay for extra bike stands to lock bikes to?

Imagine going to park your car in a local car park, only to find half of them are Hertz or Enterprise rental cars that haven't been driven for weeks? It would make the national papers and they would quickly get kicked out.

My local town often runs out of official bike parking in the town centre on a weekend, but imagine half of those spaces being permanently filled by hire bikes?

 

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jh27 replied to WillRod | 6 years ago
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WillRod wrote:

So nothing from the council forcing them to pay for extra bike stands to lock bikes to?

Imagine going to park your car in a local car park, only to find half of them are Hertz or Enterprise rental cars that haven't been driven for weeks? It would make the national papers and they would quickly get kicked out.

My local town often runs out of official bike parking in the town centre on a weekend, but imagine half of those spaces being permanently filled by hire bikes?

 

Lookup a dockless bike? I think you misunderstand how dockless bikes work. They don't require a Sheffield stand, just somewhere to leave them - not unlike metal boxes in that sense.

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brooksby replied to jh27 | 6 years ago
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jh27 wrote:
WillRod wrote:

So nothing from the council forcing them to pay for extra bike stands to lock bikes to?

Imagine going to park your car in a local car park, only to find half of them are Hertz or Enterprise rental cars that haven't been driven for weeks? It would make the national papers and they would quickly get kicked out.

My local town often runs out of official bike parking in the town centre on a weekend, but imagine half of those spaces being permanently filled by hire bikes?

 

Lookup a dockless bike? I think you misunderstand how dockless bikes work. They don't require a Sheffield stand, just somewhere to leave them - not unlike metal boxes in that sense.

Actually, I'm afraid that you misunderstand: I don't think they insist on it, but Yobike certainly recommends that its bikes are locked up with a little cable lock against the public sheffield stands  - as well as the built-in locking system that form's part of the smartphone app thingy (I think you get a discount or something for doing so).

Central Bristol is full of the bl**dy things, filling up all the public-use sheffield stands. 

So Willrod's complaint and analogy are perfectly accurate  yes

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