Wuxi's rental bike options grow as city adds 10,000

Citizens in Wuxi have the first taste of "little red public bike" on May 31. Wuxi's authorities have released a further 10,000 bikes to serve the citizens of the East China city. [Photo/wxrb.com]

Wuxi's city government has intensified competition in the shared bike market having introduced a further 10,100 bikes since May, Wuxi Daily reports.

With a host of other ride share services having gained huge popularity in the East China city over the past six months, including Mobike, Ofo, and Hellobike, the local authorities have continued to roll out the city's own scheme.

Similar to other ride shares, the city's bikes can be accessed by downloading an APP and scanning a QR code. Despite the perk that the first hour of riding is free, users are required to find one of the city's 403 docking stations after use unlike the other ride share programs.

Xiao Li, a commuter who works on Financial Street in Taihu New Town, believes the bikes greatly improve urban mobility.

"I usually go to work by metro and I'm happy to find that there are docking sites near both my home and the metro station. It takes less than one hour to ride between the two places, which is both cheaper and more convenient for me."

Although the bike rental market appears to be in the process of saturation, the local government's efforts persist and offer citizens a state sponsored option when looking to rent and ride.

According to data released in February, Mobike and Hellobike plan to release a further 50,000 and 30,000 bikes respectively. Xiaoming is also planning to expand its operations in the city.

With the use of bike rentals becoming ubiquitously popular in the Jiangsu province city, it seems the competition between rival companies will only increase and will certainly prove an interesting battleground in the coming months and years.