Hongkou storage area streamlines bikes on road
Bikes are stored at the depot in Hongkou District in Shanghai on March 8, 2018.
Bikes are stored at the depot in Hongkou District in Shanghai on March 8, 2018.
THE number of shared bikes in Hongkou District has dropped from 82,000 to almost 40,000 since a city-wide ban on new bikes came into effect in August last year.
The excess bikes on the roads occupying public space has long been an issue for both officials and the public.
The traffic authority of Hongkou offered storage space to the bike sharing firms to clear the cycles from the roads and store them at the depot.
Currently, Hongkou is the only district to adopt the policy.
The companies pay relatively low rent to the property management company for using the land.
The 3,200-square-meter area is located at the junction of Haimen and Yuezhou roads. Companies use the spot to store excess bikes.
Ma Yibing, who works for Ofo, told Shanghai Daily that the company has been using the area since September, and it has made it easier for them to manage and repair the bikes.
“We had some 5,000 bikes parked there until very recently,” Ma said. “Some of them will be sent back to the factory for repairs before being reused.”
Alanda Yang from Mobike said they will work with Hongkou authorities to better allocate the bikes and make good use of the area and improve offline bike management.
In order to prevent the depot from becoming another “graveyard” for bikes, the district authorities are urging the companies to station bike repair men at the spot and ensure the bikes are functional.
The other districts are unable to offer space due to lack of open land. Hongkou managed to recover some land after clearing an old shanty town. Hongkou will make available smaller storage space in the future to cut down on the dispatch time.
