A worker prepares parts for bicycles of Chinese bike sharing service Ofo at a factory in Tianjin, China, 16 March 2017 Photo: Li xiaofei Imaginechina
10 years ago in Paris the Velib launched to become the world's first large scale bike sharing programme. Velib was an immediate hit with commuters, tourists and residents alike, racking up 20 million riders in the first year.
Over the past decade about 1,000 other schemes all over the world have tried to emulate this success, with varying results. Here in New Zealand, both Auckland and Christchurch have their own bike sharing schemes up and running.
Patrick Collinson has been looking at what works and what doesn't in the world of bike-sharing schemes for The Guardian.
"Just as city dwellers have got used to the sight of rows of docking stations - often jammed-full or empty - the Chinese are promising a ride-anywhere, anytime Uber-style revolution that will make docking stations a thing of the past - and possibly kick-start an explosion of bike usage," he said.
