Bike-sharing: Is Singapore riding the wrong way?

Experts weigh in on which model suits the Republic's needs best

Rows of oBikes spotted at a field in Seng Kang early on Wednesday last week. Observers say the current dockless bike-share system - in which companies flood the market with two-wheelers and charge below-cost rates - is unsustainable.
Rows of oBikes spotted at a field in Seng Kang early on Wednesday last week. Observers say the current dockless bike-share system - in which companies flood the market with two-wheelers and charge below-cost rates - is unsustainable. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
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The exit of three bicycle-rental operators - oBike, GBikes and ShareBikeSG - within a month has raised doubts on the sustainability and suitability of the dockless bike-share model for Singapore.

While four players - ofo, Mobike, Anywheel and SG Bike - remain, experts ask if Singapore would have been better off with a planned government-backed bike-sharing scheme that was later scrapped.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on July 08, 2018, with the headline Bike-sharing: Is Singapore riding the wrong way?. Subscribe