The company behind Melbourne's controversial oBike has agreed to strict rules aimed at stopping them from being dumped around the city, but says it cannot guarantee they will always be parked properly.
The ubiquitous yellow bikes are continuing to clutter busy footpaths, with some left hung up in trees and others dumped in the Yarra River.
Thirty oBikes were crushed last week after being impounded by Melbourne City Council for "cluttering footpaths and obstructing pedestrians".
'Safety first'
The Melbourne, Yarra and Port Phillip councils have now signed a formal agreement with the dockless bicycle sharing company to "improve safety and amenity".
The rules include that oBikes cannot block footpaths, must always be parked upright and removed from dangerous locations within two hours.
A spokesman for the Singapore-based company, Chethan Rangaswamy, said extra staff had been put on in recent weeks to help comply with the rules.
But he admitted with eight to 10 employees overseeing all three councils, the bikes may not always be parked correctly.
"There will be cases where the bikes might be not parked properly, we might not be able to attend in time," Mr Rangaswamy said.
But Mr Rangaswamy said the company was doing all it could to comply with the two-hour timeframe for clearing the bikes from dangerous spots.
"We've been practising on these timelines for the past few weeks and then we are confident that we can make sure we can attend to the issues within the timeframe."
Calls for more regulation
Even the three councils concede the rules are only a "step in the right direction" and are calling for urgent Victorian Government regulation of bike-share schemes.
But Local Government Minister Marlene Kairouz said councils could address the problems under existing local laws.
"We'll continue to work with local councils to ensure they have the powers they need to manage the challenges posed by this emerging industry," Ms Kairouz said.
"Any operators in this space must comply with local laws and meet community expectations."
The councils are warning that several larger companies are planning other bike-share projects in Melbourne.
Melbourne City Councillor Nicolas Frances Gilley said while the council wanted to encourage cycling, safety came first.
"At City of Melbourne, we are continually looking at ways to promote cycling and make it easier for people to use bikes," Cr Gilley said.
"But the safety of all city users shouldn't be compromised in the process."
The councils have also agreed to extend the impoundment period from seven to 14 days after which the bikes will be crushed and turned into scrap metal.
oBike will still have to pay a $50 fee to reclaim each bike.
Mr Rangaswamy said the bikes were crushed last week after a "simple form of miscommunication" and he does not want that happen again.
"We have a weekly schedule to make sure we get all bikes back," he said.
