More than 40 oBikes have been found submerged in the Yarra river in the latest saga for the dockless bikes. On Tuesday, contractors working for oBike spent over four hours fishing the bikes from the depths of Melbourne’s river.
How are those O Bikes going? #yarra pic.twitter.com/hlCxUDm4At
— Cameron Schwab (@CamSchwab) September 26, 2017
Obike! This pic sums up the epic fail that it is. #obike #obikefail #bottomoftheyarra #Melbourne pic.twitter.com/Ok8QRYYaUF
— Stephen van der Tang (@svandertang) September 4, 2017
The bike-sharing company, oBike, launched in Melbourne on 15 June before spreading to Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
One contractor, Jason Wittman, told the Age: “This company comes to Australia to provide a service and some people have got nothing better to do than throw them into the water.”
The episode comes shortly after the city’s lord mayor, Robert Doyle, described the bikes as “urban clutter”.
It is not the first time the yellow shared bikes have been spotted in the most bizarre places. Dozens of images circulated on social media appear to show the bikes wrapped around light poles, suspended from trees or perched on top of portable toilets.
Just hanging around in Melbourne... #obike pic.twitter.com/995Dh9GfCW
— Cam Bendy (@CamBendy) September 19, 2017
This is why we can't have nice things. #obike #ptv #Melbourne pic.twitter.com/nEwdFK8T8a
— Daniel du Plooy (@DanielRDuP) September 18, 2017
#obike North Melbourne #thisismelbourne pic.twitter.com/7VHR7qvRMq
— Hipstergeddon (@hipstergeddon) September 8, 2017
The Singaporean company requests on its website that upon returning a bike: “It would be good if you can return the bike to an area designated [as a] public bike parking area.”
Bike-sharing schemes have a vast array of benefits including financial savings, transport flexibility as well as reducing traffic congestion and environmental pollution. They also make cities an overall attractive and sustainable place to live.
The system seems to be pretty functional in cities around the world with successes in London, Paris and Amsterdam. But the concept hasn’t translated so well in Australia, much to the joy of social media users.
Saw my first #obike abandonment today on the Hursty line and I am LIVING
— Talei Lewis (@pissygalore) September 26, 2017
Would look great with a #obike infront https://t.co/vU0RQEf4nI
— Hipstergeddon (@hipstergeddon) September 16, 2017
The scheme relies on a self-regulating system – a nice idea in theory, but it banks entirely on the good faith of the general public.
First obike test and it seems to be available in someone's house #obike #obikefail pic.twitter.com/Em7Gy8hPG8
— Alex Long (@firstyearout) August 29, 2017
Sydney now has about 1,500 bikes from a variety of bike-sharing schemes, with Melbourne hosting more than 1,250 just from oBike alone.
Australia, this is why we can’t have nice things.
Lordy wonder what the fine is going to be for this #obike drop off pic.twitter.com/KRS2WZ7Sr6
— Jo Palmer 🎧 (@jwo30) July 9, 2017
