Mobike 'could leave Manchester' over thefts

Bike-sharing firm Mobike has warned it could pull out of Manchester after losing 10% of its fleet each month due to theft and vandalism.

The company said operations in the city are becoming close to "unsustainable".

If Mobike pulls out, Manchester would be the first city among 200 worldwide to lose the service because of persistent crime.

Cycling commissioner Chris Boardman said a city region-wide hire scheme was "essential" to Greater Manchester.

Mobike traces the bikes' movements electronically but thieves have been breaking the locks and disabling the tracking systems.

The firm would not reveal the total number of thefts, saying stock levels fluctuate, but said it was "not in the hundreds".

Head of growth, Steve Milton, said some users were also "privatising" cycles by adding their own locks or storing them where others could not access them.

"Some people aren't entering into the spirit of bike-sharing. It's a form of theft," he said.

He said Mobike would monitor thefts on a month-by-month basis but that, if the problems persisted, operations would be suspended.

Bikes would be withdrawn, users refunded and the company would reconsider its position next spring, he added.

Chris Boardman, the 1992 Olympic pursuit champion who was appointed Greater Manchester's cycling and walking commissioner last year, said was a "real shame" that the scheme was under threat.

"Issues with the theft and vandalism of bikes are not unique to Greater Manchester - unfortunately many other cities worldwide have experienced the same problems."

Jan Van der Ven, Mobike's UK General Manager said: "We are only viable if our revenues cover our costs, and that is not possible with the current levels of bike loss in Manchester.

"For that reason, we have sat down with representatives from Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Police and Transport for Greater Manchester, and have agreed a range of measures to help protect our bikes."

Mobike chose Manchester and Salford to launch its first hire scheme in Europe in June 2017.

It operates along similar lines to London's "Boris bikes", with users paying a deposit to join the scheme and then a rate according to how long they use them.

Unlike other cycle hire schemes, there are no fixed docking stations with users being encouraged to "park responsibly" within the scheme's operating zone.

The firm raised its half-hourly rate in April, 10 months after launch, to "incentivise people to treat the bikes respectfully and park them correctly".

Chief Supt Wasim Chaudhry from Greater Manchester Police, said: "Our officers are able to check the legitimate use of the Mobike system and we will investigate reports of suspected theft and vandalism just like we would if someone made a report about their own bike.

"We will always hold those we find breaking the law to account."