What can we learn from oBike’s demise?

The failure of the operator to work constructively with the state and local governments prior to launch didn’t help, but I suspect there were multiple contributory factors. The oBikes considerable weight and lack of gears made them unattractive to ride, turning Melbourne’s shallow gradients into hard climbs.

But mostly oBike faced the same obstacles as MBS. The mandatory helmet law was likely a substantial problem. So was the fact oBikes had to compete against the accessibility provided by the inner suburb’s tram and train system (and tram rides are free in the CBD). Also, those who ride in Melbourne tend to have their own bike; unlike Paris or Manhattan, housing is generally large enough in Melbourne’s inner suburbs to accommodate a bike.

The main reason, though, is likely to be the perception that cycling isn’t safe. Cars and trucks still dominate road space in the inner suburbs and the number of fully segregated routes is limited. Bike share can’t rely on the relatively small number of riders who currently brave the streets on their own bikes; it must generate new users from among those who don’t ride. But prospective riders tend to be fearful of mixing it with cars, trucks, buses and trams (see What are the prospects for dockless bike share in Australia?).

I’m not convinced that bike share in particular is especially important for Melbourne’s future, but cycling – or more generally, slow two-wheel transport – has a huge role to play in providing point-to-point mobility as population and density increase, especially in the inner suburbs. Power-assisted bicycles provide a way to use existing road infrastructure for private transport in a much more space-efficient, sustainable and economic way than can be achieved with cars. Like mass transit, they should be a key part of the future modal mix.

What we can learn from the fate of oBike is that realising the potential of two-wheelers will require addressing the various obstacles to cycling. The most pressing action is to improve the sense of subjective safety of the next cohort of riders waiting nervously in the wings. The Victorian Government needs to boost its vision for cycling by an order of magnitude e.g. starting with a comprehensive plan for cycle super highways in the inner suburbs (see Is it time our cities got Cycle Superhighways? and  Shouldn’t all cities have a “cycle superhighway plan”?) and by accelerating the pedestrianisation of the CBD (see Should drivers give up road space for cyclists?).