No more Mobikes in Manchester
Vandalism and theft forces company to pull out
Cases of theft and vandalism have forced MOBIKE to pull out of Manchester.
The company operates in 200 cities across the world but Manchester is the first to have the service suspended.
In a statement on Mobikes website it says:
"We’re sad to be announcing today that we are suspending our bikesharing service in Manchester.
We launched in Manchester in July 2017, with Mancunians taking some 250,000 trips, cycling over 180,000 miles. However, during the summer Mobike suffered increased bike losses dues to theft and vandalism in the city.
We are very grateful to the City of Manchester to have been the first city in Europe to welcome Mobike. However, after careful evaluation, we have decided to remove our bikes and refund our users. As a private company, we have a duty to ensure our revenues cover our costs since unlike some operators we do not use taxpayer money to help balance our books. Unfortunately the circumstances in Manchester have not made this possible.
We want to thank the people of Manchester, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Police and the City Council for all their support. We have all learnt valuable lessons that will help cities continue to make urban life more sustainable, more active and more healthy through cycling.
We are already processing refunds to our users in Manchester, and advising people to check their bank statements. The refunds may take a day or two to arrive.
Goodbyes are never easy, but we hope to see you again in London, Newcastle, Oxford and Cambridge, as well as across Europe in cities including Paris, Berlin, Madrid and Milan."
In July last year Manchester became the first City outside of Asia to launch the Mobike sceme - which is now also operating in London, Newcastle, Oxford and Cambridge