In its first major statement since being acquired by Meituan, bike rental giant Mobike is to stop adding new bikes to cities considered to be already saturated with bikes, will share its big data with the government for improved city planning, and put RMB100 million into improving its user credit system, the company announced at a press conference held in Beijing on Earth Day, April 22. The company is changing its focus from rapid to responsible growth.
Despite being awarded a Champions of the Earth award by the UN in Nairobi last December for its advancement of low carbon transport, Mobike acknowledges that its rapid growth has not been without issue, creating some particularly visible “side effects.” Speaking at the event, Mobike’s founder and president Hu Weiwei said the company recognizes the problems caused by their bikes being parked in the wrong places or simply being abandoned by users. The bikes get in people’s way, lead to traffic congestion and even spoil how cities look.
