Bike-sharing apps bring change, new benefits

The Futian district government signed an agreement in April with Mobike, a leading operator in the app-based bike-sharing sector, for cooperation in building a smart district.

Liu Zhiyong, deputy head of the district government, and Teng Fei, general manager of Mobike Shenzhen, also unveiled Shenzhen's first intelligent-preferred parking location for app-based bikes.

According to the agreement, Futian and Mobike will improve the management of app-based bikes and promote the development of intelligent transportation and the public bicycle system.

Mobike launched nearly 100 preferred parking locations in eight Chinese cities in April, and Futian was among the first districts to have such locations. Big data enables Mobike to recommend parking locations for users, thus avoiding overcrowding in some spots. The locations will also help to improve users' behavior.

Since the first app-based bikes appeared on Shenzhen's streets last year, random parking has become a headache for bike operators and urban management officers.

According to Mobike, the company's intelligent system can locate its bikes within an accuracy of less than 1 meter, allowing the company to recommend preferred locations and adjust the number of bikes available in different areas.

Hundreds of preferred parking locations will be in place near the main streets, industrial parks, scenic spots, resorts and commercial areas in Futian.

Liu said that Mobike could help Futian to build an intelligent, slow traffic system as the district is seeking to implement intelligent urban management solutions.

Zhao Jianping, general manager of Mobike South China, said that emerging industries, like app-based bikes, have been promoting the transformation of the economy and traditional industries. Mobike's suppliers in Shenzhen have made 3 billion yuan ($441 million) in sales.

Shenzhen Daily provided the story.

(HK Edition 06/09/2017 page1)