Bike-sharing apps are a concept in which multiple bicycle stations are set up, and anyone may rent a bike for a given period and return it to a different station.
It may be seen in many cities where bicycle infrastructure is developing, and it is a necessary part of making riding more accessible to the general public.
Cycling has become more widely accepted as a primary mode of inner-city transportation, especially in the developed world. We shall see more of these bike shares come up, along with the existing ones expanding.
Whether you live in the United States, England, or Canada, you may have noticed that many individuals travel by bike. In just a few years, the straightforward concept of a bike-sharing program has spread around the globe.
A bicycle-sharing system is a program in which anyone can borrow a bike for a specific period and return it to a different station.
According to the latest analysis from prnewswire.com, the global bike-sharing services market is predicted to grow 12.5 percent from 2018 to 2026.
As you can see, cycling is a popular mode of transportation.
Reading about these bike-sharing app systems will also help you grow your bike-sharing business. Suppose you are planning to develop a bike-sharing app for your company. So, let’s talk about some of the most outstanding bike-sharing applications and learn more about them.
Everyone knows that Europe is virtually the king regarding cycling infrastructure these days. Hence, it’s only natural to think that all top bike share programs are also in Europe.
Although many of them are, however, the rest of the world has decided to step up its cycling game in recent decades as well.
The world’s best bike-share systems are listed below, organized by city. If you were expecting Europe to dominate this ranking, the number one spot could surprise you.
1. Hangzhou, China
With around seven million people, Hangzhou has the world’s most extensive bike-sharing app program. No other bike-sharing on the planet compares to their vast numbers. Let’s make a count. Between 66,500 and 78,000 bicycles are available through their program. Spread over 2,700 stations.
There are so many city bikes that you can’t go five minutes without seeing one in the city’s downtown area. But it gets better: the program has been so successful that the Hangzhou Public Transportation Corporation has received funding to expand. The amount invested is around 18.5 million British pounds.
Due to the investment, the company expects to have 175,000 bikes in operation by 2020. Given that the program only began in 2008. That’s quite a considerable development.
Despite the program’s massive success, it has been the topic of some controversy. In 2010, an app was developed that told users how many bikes were available at each station.
However, the personnel at Hangzhou Public Bicycle were not impressed, even though users praised it as a true lifesaver. They claimed the developers stole the data. Therefore, they barred Zhang Guangyu, the program’s developer, from accessing the information in 2012. Effectively rendering the software useless.
2. Taiyuan, China
Europe may be the forerunner in bike infrastructure, but it falls short in terms of actual volume and availability.
China is in the lead. I know it’s unfair, given that China’s population is almost double that of Europe, but Taiyuan is worth mentioning as the current runner-up to Hangzhou.
The fact that Taiyuan’s bike share has grown so much in such a short period is one of the reasons it deserves to be on our list. It’s grown so quickly that no one knows how many bikes are in circulation, with estimates ranging from 20,000 to 41,000 cycles and roughly 1,000 stations. And it’s still expanding.
It’s also easy to see why: the bikes are cheap and straightforward. It’s free as long as you ride for less than an hour.
3. The city of Paris, France
When people refer to it as the city of love, I don’t believe they mean love of bicycles. However, Paris is ranked third because of their fantastic bike share scheme. It’s hardly surprising that Paris is ranked so high. France is one of the main hubs of the international cycling community and a key figure in the sport’s history.
Vélib’s bike-sharing program is the most extensive bike-sharing program outside of China, with over 20,000 bikes and 1,200 stations in its fleet.
Bertrand Delano, the mayor of Paris from 2001 to 2014, was a driving force behind establishing the bike-sharing system, which debuted in July 2007.
The project has been an enormous success and has set an excellent example for the rest of the world. Its daily ridership peaked in 2011 at 86,000 people and has only increased since then.
When other cities try to market the idea of a bike-share system in their town, they frequently refer to Vélib’.
However, Vélib’ is not without faults. Theft and damage are widespread problems. Many bikes are thrown out, stripped for parts, or left in ruin. Many of the bikes are stolen and sold overseas, with some finding up in countries as far away as Romania. The expenses of theft and vandalism were far higher than expected.
The project was a financial loss in its first three years of operation.
Despite this, the program has stabilized and is now considered a significant success. Delano considers it one of the most outstanding achievements in his political career.