Shared bikes make a comeback in Australia

New operators hope to avoid predecessors' failures with better tracking, maintenance

- Jonathan Pearlman

Australia's first encounter with shared - or dockless - bicycles was in 2017, with cities across the country quickly embracing a variety of schemes, mainly involving pedal bikes.

But the excitement soon turned to disappointment as several firms collapsed within a year of launching and thousands of abandoned bikes ended up strewn across city streets.

Bikes were found across Australia in rivers, trees, gutters, on roofs of buildings, and even - in a notorious case in Melbourne - floating on a raft in an inner city lake.

The collapse of the firms was blamed on a range of factors, including low levels of use, vandalism of bikes, and a lack of infrastructure such as bike lanes and parking stations.

In recent months, however, the bikes have made a comeback as multiple firms try to reboot the market, mainly offering electric bikes.

There are hopes that the latest operations will avoid the failures of their predecessors.

The new operators say their bikes are more durable, constantly tracked by GPS, and supported by maintenance crews.

In addition, the authorities in Australia have worked with operators to introduce rules, such as requirements for some schemes that bikes must be parked within restricted zones, or the user will continue to be charged.