Bike sharing services are a common sight in cities from London to Tokyo now, with racks of colourful cycles lined up, ready to rent anytime. If you’re not much of a cyclist, but you’d still like to get around Tokyo on two wheels, you’re in luck. Shaero is a new electric moped sharing service that offers a cheap way to get around Tokyo with minimal effort.
Shaero’s mopeds are fully electric, so there’s no pedalling or refuelling required. A 2.5km journey from Shibuya to Roppongi takes about ten minutes on one of these bright red two-wheelers. It’s faster than a bicycle or train, and more environmentally friendly than a car.
The best part of the moped is that it’s foldable, so you don’t have to find a special motorbike parking space – when you get to your destination, you can just fold it up and tuck it somewhere out of the way.
To rent a Shaero moped, all you need to do is download the app (available on iOS and Android) and create an account. Note that, since these are classified as motorbikes, you’ll be required to have a moped licence and wear one of the helmets provided at the stations.
You can search for your closest Shaero station and select if you want to rent a moped for 15 minutes (¥200), 24 hours (¥2,000) or 30 days (¥20,000). Don’t worry about going overtime – the app will automatically change the pricing plan to the cheapest appropriate option as you continue to ride. And once you’re done using the moped, all you need to do is drop it off at the closest Shaero station and connect the charging cable.
There are currently ten rental stations in Tokyo including Akihabara, Takadanobaba and Roppongi, but Shaero hopes to install 200 stations in the city by next summer.
For more information, check Shaero's website.
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