Bike sharing is a hot topic matter regardless whether considering domestic or overseas markets. It has been touted as one of the China’s four new great inventions recently considering the convenience it has brought to people’s lives.
Riding Mobikes through Guangzhou [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
And bike sharing again became a focal point during the World Cities Day workshop being held in Guangzhou from Oct.31 to Nov. 3. With the theme of smart transportation, the workshop gathers urban planning scholars and practitioners discussing cutting-edge technology and peer experience.
Dr. Lee Munnich, Senior Researcher of University of Minnesota is one of them.
“I first came to Guangzhou in 2010 for a workshop on congestion. My daughter thought it was about bike congestion, because when she studied here in 1989, bikes were everywhere,” said Dr. Munnich,“but I didn't see many bikes back in 2010, and we actually dealt with car congestion during that workshop.'
'And now, I’m surprised shared bikes are so popular here in this highly urbanized city,” he said, “I think bike sharing is a very creative way to manage congestion through making use of technology.”
A panel discussion on shared bikes organized during the World Cities Day workshop in Guangzhou, Nov. 1. [PhotoNewsgd.com]
The rise of shared bikes has been supported by various technologies, such as e-payment and the IoT. Gao Zhenxian, Mobike’s Director of Global Strategy and Operation, explained how Mobike, the world’s largest bike sharing operator, has contributed to the city’s urban management through the use of technology.
“We equip every Mobike with an intelligent lock, which helps us collect a variety of data, such as bike distribution, parking location and riding demands in different city blocks,”said Gao Zhenxian.
“With the data, we are able to manage bike distribution in a more interactive way. And now, we are also helping the government on planning roads,” he said.
George Ferguson, Former Mayor of Bristol, shared his experience of bike sharing as Yobike, a Chinese shared bike operator, entered his city nine months ago.
“In the beginning, it was quite messy. But now it’s settled down as the company encourage people to leave the bikes in more sensible places via incentives,” he said, “I think sharing is a great idea as it provides people with alternative transport methods, and to some degree, reduces the use of cars.”
Alfonso Govela Thomae, Executive Director of Digital City, is introducing a case during the World Cities Day workshop in Guangzhou, Nov. 1. [PhotoNewsgd.com]
Nicholas You, Director of Global Programs and Partnerships at the Guangzhou Institute of Urban Innovation, said Guangzhou has become a great destination for representatives of cities around the world to convene and learn from each other.
“With the organization of Guangzhou Award and workshops like this, the city provides an open platform for study as it gathers the best smart city cases around the world,”said Nicholas You, “and by saying the best cases, I don’t mean how beautiful or innovative they are, but to what extent, they inspire other cities and can be applied across various situations.”
Earlier last month, Newsgd invited Krisztina, an expat from Russia, to experience riding shared bike in Guangzhou,check the video here
Author: Jasmine Yin
Editor: Simon Haywood & Olivia Yang
