About thirty years ago, China was known as the "Bicycle Kingdom". Soon bikes were replaced by cars. But recently an increasing number of people choose cycling instead of driving to schools, to workplaces or to do sightseeing. Bike-sharing service provided by companies like Ofo and Mobike, has brought the trend to a new level.
According to the data from Researh Consulting Group, the frst week of this year saw 5. 85 million active users of Mobike while Ofo had 1. 4 million active users.
People can unlock the shared bikes by simply using their smartphones. The bikes are equipped with GPS and can be left anywhere in public for the next user. They're popular among many Chinese people as they provide an effective solution to the "last mile" problem, which refers to the final leg of a person's journey. "In places where the subway can't reach, where it's difcult to change from one kind of transport to another. It's so easy to get where you want to go with Mobike," Hu Hong, 29, who lives in Shanghai said.
However, the project has also led to problems such as illegal (非法的) parking, damage and stealing. Last month, two nurses in Beijing were placed under administrative detention (行政拘留) for five days for putting locks on two shared bikes. Now, Chinese service operators are trying to solve this problem.
