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London Cycling Campaign members will help steer the spread of dockless bikes thanks to a deal signed with Ofo, China’s largest operator. LCC will advise Ofo to help best meet the needs of London’s cyclists, councils and wider community.
Ofo co-founder Zhang Yanqi said it was his ambition to boost the number of journeys made in London from current levels of 2 percent modal share to more than 30 percent. To do this he plans to roll-out up to 150,000 bikes across the capital.
Ofo has already launched with 1,000 bikes in Hackney, Islington and the City of London, as well as Cambridge, Oxford and Norwich outside of the capital.
The LCC Cycling Projects team will work with members and with Ofo to help plan at a local level as to where and how cyclists want to access a bike sharing scheme.
Over coming months LCC will also work with Ofo to organise a number of events to target new and returning cyclists.
Both organisations will also work together to offer LCC membership to Ofo’s registered users.
LCC CEO Ashok Sinha said: “It’s hugely exciting for the London Cycling Campaign to be partnering with an innovative and responsible company like Ofo. The potential market for cycle hire in London is huge, and we look forward to working with Ofo to enable many more Londoners to enjoy the convenience and enjoyment of getting around by bike.”
Ofo UK’s operations director Joseph Seal-Driver said: “This partnership will provide ofo with valuable expertise, while benefiting London and LCC by bringing a valuable and much needed service to the city. Together we will be able to transform the way that Londoners travel, getting more people cycling to slash pollution, ease congestion and boost health.
“We’re determined to be a responsible, ethical and sustainable operator. We employ staff directly and pay them the London Living Wage, hire local bike shops to maintain our fleet and only enter boroughs once we have permission from the local authority.”
