OBike – the bike share service Melburnians loved to hate – is set to leave the city for good. The ABC is reporting that the much-maligned bike share service that could more commonly be seen floating in the Yarra River than being ridden will be shutting up shop in Melbourne permanently.
Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp has confirmed that the council is working with the company to remove oBikes from the city. The lord mayor is also recommending Melburnians stop using the bike share service.
The departure of oBike follows a shaky year in Melbourne that was plagued by the bikes being used for everything but riding. OBikes quickly raised the ire of local councils across Melbourne as riders dumped them haphazardly on streets, in the Yarra River, up trees and in art installations.
The oBike company had previously signed a memorandum of understanding with local council to help regulate the bike share service. In May 2018, the Environment Protection Authority also unveiled stricter policies on how fast oBike had to remove dumped bikes, with the company liable to be fined $3,000 every time they failed to comply.