The Voi E-scooter hire in Bristol seems much more popular than the YoBikes ever did - I guess because they involve zero exertion and people are lazy. I'm a fan, shame that the more popular option is a non-active form of transport, but they must be replacing at least some car journeys.
There's a lot ofgrumbling about them causing chaos but can't say I've witnessed much of it when cycling in and out of the city centre daily, although they do clog up the bike lanes a bit.
Apparently if you rent one in the evening the app makes you do some reaction tests to try and prevent absolutely leathered people renting them.
you can’t release the bike from the dock without payment.
I think that's the case here an Manchester with the new bikes and scooters, it also asked for a copy of my driving license and a bank card before it would register me as a user, perhaps that will cut down of the vandalism? Who knows. The new Manchester system is also run by Beryl, so if it's doing well elsewhere, that's encouraging
TfL’s own info under FoI said that, as of 2017, a total of 32 bikes had been stolen and not returned to a docking station.
However, as of 2020 6,500 bikes had been decommissioned due to being 'lost, stolen or damaged beyond repair'. I suspect the 32 figure is artificially low due to specific terminology used. I certainly remember regular stories in the local press about problems when the scheme first started when I was living in London.
To be fair I'm not that bothered. Was just pointing out that the London scheme hasn't been all smooth sailing either, but was able to continue one way or another largely, I think, due to its size.
And the ( I read) 140 million subsidy
Half decent robust bikes with equally robust locking docks make it work in London.
I've seen a number of them being kicked free from the stands for all day fee free riding. So it 'works' but there are 'workarounds'.
The Voi system does seem to be settling better than others, but having registered for it recently it wasn't quick to get going when I wanted it.
Also, in Cambridge it works as if you leave a bike at the station it WILL get stolen, so you are better off not using your own.
Schemes seem to vary by city. Cardiff originally had very little vandalism then it escalated massively in the last year. Maybe they bore the brunt of a group’s frustration. The evidence from several schemes has been smallish numbers of repeat offenders cause the majority of damage.
Glasgow had extensive outreach in low income areas which ensured that people had ways of using them without owning a fancy smartphone and also engaged young teens in riding projects. It’s that sort of work which protects schemes and creates a more widespread feeling of ownership. There’s usually an upsurge in vandalism during school holidays and the only way of mitigating that is good outreach during term time to head it off.
TfL had enough money to put a much more robust scheme in place, has a big redistribution operation so plenty of eyes and ears on the ground and the means to pursue every last bike.
All schemes need money over and above fare revenue to ensure they don’t fall into vicious cycles of misuse. However, bikeshare extends the reach of public transport and links up journeys keeping people from using cars - which is why big European cities and London subsidise them.
Newer bikes have really good tracking and ebikes can be geofenced like scooters. If the scheme uses the best tech and has plenty of people both doing on street redistribution and maintenance as well as social outreach it has a chance.
How do so many kids access them? You’re supposed to have a driving licence, but they’ve clearly got some way around it.
"You can use a provisional licence on the Bristol ones."
I don't mean 16 year olds, I'm talking about 10-15 year olds, I see them riding hire e-scooters all the time.
Are they using a fake driving license, or a copy, or do they have some way of bypassing the system?
Well, that post seemed legit, but oddly the services would solve the problems of starting an account at a bike hire place…
Sweden has (in Stockholm at least) a tonne of scooter hire companies, all licensed for different zones within the main city. There were also bike hire companies, but these are effectively shut down since the scooters arrived. As someone has said, why cycle when you can just move?
Scooters do get abused, but I think it is largely mitigated because he hire is linked to your account. Mind you, they litter the foot way at common drop-off places and are a menace when people ride them against traffic, with headphones on, whilst looking at 5k or phones.
In a strange way this kind of anarchy makes me quite proud to be British.
Can you explain a bit more please.
Ad company J C Decaux reportedly noted that Britain was the most expensive place in Europe to keep a bus shelter. Bike share vandalism is just an extension of our national propensity to smash bus shelters. And generally self harm. But there are other threads about that.
Cycled across London with a few colleagues yesterday, them on Boris bikes.
Coming from Bristol with it's traffic jam, scooter hire, bodged cycle lane carnage, I was amazed at London's emptiness! The parks having rotten row etc. to ride on helps of course but it was startlingly easy to get about.
The key to a civilised city seems to be draconian car charges and dedicated cycle lanes. Who knew!
