Zhang Yang

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AS countless shared bikes have flooded many Chinese cities, the management of app-based bikes has become a headache for local authorities.

Austin Zhang, co-founder of ofo, the first bike-sharing service provider in China, talked about the positive influence the sharing economy has on the development of a city’s credit system at the TechCrunch Summit held at I-Factory in Shekou yesterday.

“As a participant in the sharing economy, ofo needs to consider how to quantify its users’ credit with data, which could ensure they use our products properly,” said Zhang. Some prevalent examples of improper use of shared bikes include intentionally hiding or vandalizing the bikes.

He said the company has cooperated with Zhima Credit, a credit system funded by Alibaba, to authorize new users in Shanghai, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, who have a Zhima Credit score that is higher than 650, to use ofo bikes without having to pay the deposit.

The company also has its own credit system to punish those who inappropriately use ofo bikes.

“I think a credit city in the future will have a credit system related to many aspects of a resident’s behavior. For instance, if you don’t use a shared bike in the proper way, you might face obstacles in using a credit card or buying an apartment,” he said.

According to Zhang, the data collected by bike-sharing service providers could be referenced by local governments to improve a city’s urban planning, as it is easy to see when and where the need for shared bikes is the highest in a city.

Besides, he said the user data could also inspire business owners to seek new commercial opportunities by selecting the location of their business based on the preferred riding routes of shared bike users in the city.