BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Dockless hire scheme ofo will almost double the number of boroughs it operates in with the launch of Camden, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth and Waltham Forest this month.
The company will launch in Camden on Wednesday 13th of June with a fleet of 200 joining the 2,800 bikes it already has in use across six London boroughs. Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth and Waltham Forest will follow within weeks.
The new boroughs come after previous launches in Southwark, Islington, Hackney, Redbridge, Richmond and the City of London. The company also operates in Cambridge, Oxford, Norwich and Sheffield.
Once all ten boroughs are operational ofo will cover 290kilometres of London, more than twice as much as competitor Mobike’s 138kilometres and almost three times as large as the 100kilometres covered by Boris Bikes.
Joseph Seal-Driver, ofo’s UK general manager, said:“We’re thrilled to bring our dockless bikes to even more London boroughs. Over the past year we’ve really taken off across the capital and these launches show the increasing popularity of bike sharing in London.
“We will be working very closely with all the new councils to ensure ofo’s rollout goes as smoothly as possible and to provide the best experience for residents. We are looking forward to seeing our distinctive yellow bikes on the streets giving people a fun, cheap and environmentally friendly way to get around.”
Councillor Wesley Harcourt, Hammersmith and Fulham cabinet member for environment, added:“As part of our bid to become the greenest borough in the country we need to improve local air quality and reduce congestion by getting more people cycling.
“So ofo’s service is a welcome addition to H&F. It’s easy to use and means fewer people will need to rely on cars, or public transport for their short journeys in and out of the borough.”
