Following its huge success in Newcastle, the Chinese bicycle sharing giants are imminently installing a station on Newcastle University campus.
Despite not having an installation date set, it will only be a matter of time before Mobikes will be seen parked across our university buildings and, to celebrate, Newcastle students will be given a voucher code that will allow them to sign up for just £1, and will also grant users multiple free rides within a certain time frame.
Normally costing £20 to subscribe, NUSU offers Newcastle students cheap access to the environmentally friendly bicycles that are picked up and dropped off using the app.
First seen in Newcastle in October, the lightweight bikes have seen huge usership across the United Kingdom due to their ease of access and eye-catching design.
The company have, however, come under some criticism thanks to their openly available nature. Due to this, their is no compulsory place to leave the vehicle meaning they are occasionally left blocking paths, and they do not provide helmets meaning riders must use their own.
$3bn - the estimated worth of Mobike in mid 2017, before their introduction to the UK market
The Bike Life survey in 2015 found that 71% of Newcastle residents felt that health and the environment would be better if people cycled in the city more, while 63% agreed that increased bicycle usage would improve the city as a place to live.
This clear desire for an improved bicycle network has been jumped on by the Asian company, who had an original fleet of 400 and an eventual target of 1,000 units on Newcastle’s streets.
The bikes are designed for short-distance use, which could play into students’ hands, who would most commonly be using the service to get between university and their residential areas, although long distance and prolonged usage is not prohibited.
According to Cycling UK’s statistics, students are the biggest cyclists of any occupation in the country, both for utility and recreational purposes, and therefore Mobike will be optimistic that the implementation of the station on campus will bring increased revenue and bicycle usage in the city.