Thousands of share bikes are back in Sydney. Will they clog the streets again?
Thousands of green, purple and blue e-bikes are once again on Sydney streets, as bike-sharing companies say new technology will combat past problems of them being abandoned in the street.
But Sydney’s lack of bike lanes continues to deter cycling, amid questions about whether these companies can be trusted to keep footpaths clear.
Lime has 3500 of its green e-bikes on Sydney streets, while there are 1000 purple Beam e-bikes and more than 500 blue HelloRide e-bikes.
Thousands of e-bikes are on Sydney streets as bike-sharing companies make another attempt at encouraging two-wheeled transport.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
Shared bikes schemes have had a rocky history in Sydney – Mobike abandoned an estimated 1600 bikes on streets and in warehouses after failing last year. Other bike-sharing companies such as Ofo, oBike and Reddy also found Australian streets to be an unfriendly business environment.
Lime’s general manager for Australia and New Zealand Hugo Burt-Morris said riders in areas such as the Sydney CBD and Bondi Beach should be able to find a bike within 50 metres.
“I see no reason that any major city in Australia could not be similar to London or Paris, which operates tens of thousands of micromobility vehicles,” he said.
A Beam spokeswoman saidthe most popular areas for e-bike trips include the Bourke Street cycleway, Oxford Street, Central Station, Darling Harbour and Bondi.
Bike sharing companies say technology such as geofencing and rider education will combat issues with poorly parked bikes blocking footpaths.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
“With more than two million car trips taken in Sydney every day being less than two kilometres, it shows the potential for shared micromobility to replace some of those shorter car trips and decrease congestion on the roads,” she said.
The surge in shared bikes on Sydney streets has revived memories of share bike littering clogging up streets, parks and waterways. But the bike sharing companies say technology such as geofencing and rider education will combat poor parking.
Beam’s spokeswoman said its app uses technology to direct riders to park in appropriate parking spots, “with virtual parking locations created to incentivise parking in recommended locations”.
Previous attempts to roll out e-bikes have not always ended well.Credit: Lucie Billingsley
Riders are asked to send a photo at the end of the journey “so we know it is parked safely”, she said. Beam also employs eight marshals to move badly parked bikes to a better location.
Lime riders are also required to take a photo of their parking and may be warned, fined or suspended if they park poorly.
“We understand the importance of not obstructing footpaths and other shared spaces, particularly for those with access needs,” Burt-Morris said.
Bicycle NSW, the peak advocacy body for cyclists, supports shared e-bike schemes and has a commercial partnership with HelloRide.
The latest providers believe new technology will help prevent the dumping of bikes, as seen previously.
Bicycle NSW chief executive Peter McLean said past mishaps with operators going bust and failing to deal with dumped bikes had harmed the reputation of bike sharing.
“Dockless schemes have worked in some other countries but it doesn’t work here due to smaller numbers of bikes and our bike infrastructure, helmet use and pricing models,” he said.
McLean also suggested limiting the number of bike-sharing companies to two or three operators that do it well “rather than five or six who are less committed”.
Burt-Morris said bike sharing was hampered by Sydney’s lack of cycling infrastructure, which still “enormously lags behind many major cities”.
The hope is that dedicated virtual parking areas will keep footpaths clear.
“Oxford Street is our most ridden street on our Lime e-bikes, but there are still arguments about whether or not a bike lane should be there,” he said.
A HelloRide spokesman also said the lack of bike lanes on key routes such as Oxford Street was a challenge.
“We believe policymakers can further encourage bike sharing by investing in and improving cycling infrastructure, enacting regulations that foster responsible bike parking and promoting the immense health and environmental benefits of cycling,” he said.
Sydney councils back shared bike schemes, despite past problems with companies failing and dumping bikes on streets.
A Waverley Council spokeswoman said the council was generally satisfied with the conduct of bike share operators, while riders were “pretty good” at not obstructing footpaths.
“We currently don’t have any bikes impounded, and we have received 10 or less complaints this year about bikes blocking footpaths,” she said. “In those cases, operators were quick to respond to requests for relocation.”
The City of Sydney received 11 complaints in the past year about shared bikes parked on footpaths that were hindering pedestrians.
It is one of six inner-city councils with guidelines for dockless bike share operators, including responsible parking, but a council spokesman said the state government should develop a framework for shared bike schemes given they operate across the city.
Physical Disability Council of NSW chief executive Edward Morris said poorly parked e-bikes also pose a safety risk and inconvenience to the physical disability community.
“This is particularly the case for wheelchair users and those living with vision impairment, who may find it challenging to see or move obstacles,” he said.
Morris said leaving bike-sharing companies with the responsibility of keeping footpaths clear is not working: “People living with disability are being inconvenienced and disincentivised from leaving the house.”
The NSW government is exploring how electric devices such as e-bikes can be integrated into the transport system as well as building more bike lanes.
A Transport for NSW spokesman said it wants to double the number of bike trips in NSW in the next 20 years: “We want walking and bike riding – active transport – to be the preferred way to make short trips and a viable, safe and efficient option for longer trips.”
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