Han Ximin

    ximhan@126.com

    A FLEET of more than 1,000 orange-wheeled bicycles, equipped with a GPS device that allows you to pick up a bike and return it to any public bicycle parking area, is gaining popularity among residents since being introduced to the city two weeks ago.

    After you’ve downloaded the Mobike app, it will show you the location of the nearest available bikes as orange bike icons on the screen.

    The app also has an English version for expatriates if your mobile phone’s language is set to English. Foreigners can take a picture of their passport or other photo documents and upload it for the Mobike company to verify. For the first-time user, the registration will be completed within 24 hours.

    “It is very simple. You can register an account with your ID, photo and a deposit of 299 yuan (US$44) using either WeChat or Alipay by following the app’s guidance. After registration, you pick up your bike by scanning the unique QR code to unlock it and ride away,” said a male user surnamed Li, who was unlocking a bike at an entrance of Houhai Metro Station yesterday.

    The app also provides a bicycle booking service, giving users 15 minutes to get to the bike they wish to use. When a journey comes to an end, the rider just leaves the bike in a public bicycle parking area so that it can be taken by another user or retrieved by the company.

    Li, who works in an office building at Coastal City, said the bicycles solve the last mile of his commute and are very convenient. The app can automatically calculate fees, show time, distance, calories and the amount of carbon emissions prevented. The rental is 1 yuan for every 30 minutes.

    “Compared to car rental services, the bike rental system’s outstanding feature is the convenience of dropping them off wherever you want. And the fee is cheap,” a woman, surnamed Yi, said after test-riding a bike near Coastal City. However, Yi complained about the weight of the bicycles and their non-adjustable seats.

    “It should have a basket for riders to carry their bags or some small items,” Yi suggested.

    Unlike Mobike’s stationless service, Shenzhen Funbike Co. Ltd., which was started by a Shenzhen University graduate and a former Uber employee a few years ago, has strengthened its market presence in the bike rental business by building 500 rental stations with 15,000 bikes. The users need to pay a 150-yuan deposit and 1 yuan to rent for an hour.

    The company is cooperating with district governments to introduce systems similar to Mobike. Riders can also use a Shenzhentong card to pay for the rentals. Bicycle stands have been widely installed around office areas, such as the high-tech industrial park and Shekou.