New dockless bike sharing scheme Airbike applies to set up in Adelaide

Undeterred by two failed bike-sharing schemes, a new company is set to win permission to set up in Adelaide — just in time for the busy festival period.

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Adelaide’s love affair with cycling is set to slip into top gear with a new dockless bike-sharing scheme set for the city.

Undeterred by the failings of ofo and Obikes, which copped an angry backlash from residents over dumped and abandoned bikes, Adelaide City Council has received an application for an operating permit from Airbike.

The Australian-based bike-share operator wants to run a 200-bike fleet in the CBD and North Adelaide.

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor said Airbike, which has fleets in Canberra and Sydney, had fulfilled all the obligations required and would seem to be a perfect fit if councillors vote to give the operator approval.

She said Airbike had been praised by the other cities and met the council’s key conditions. A key criticism of ofo and Obikes was their bikes had became safety hazards.

The schemes were controversial as many of the bikes were left on footpaths, in waterways — and even put up trees.

As the first local authority in Australia to award bike-sharing permits, Ms Verschoor said the council had learnt from the past.

An ofo bike left up a tree on the bike path in the east parklands, near East Tce. Picture: Dulwich Island Bike/Twitter

“The bikes will have GPS tracking, they will be monitored daily and will be removed if they are in a dangerous location or are damaged,” she said.

Under the conditions of the permit, “dangerously located bikes” are to be removed within four hours, damaged bikes are to be removed within 24 hours and inappropriately located bikes are to be removed within 48 hours.

Should the complaints not be addressed in the designated time frames, the council will be able to impound the bikes and dispose of them at the cost to Airbike.

The council can also penalise Airbike or revoke the company’s permit if it does not meet conditions.

Airbike has said it could start operating as early as next month if it gets council approval. Ms Verschoor said it would come at a perfect time if the city councillors voted to give the operator a permit.

“I think it will be a very good outcome,” she told The Advertiser.

“To be here in time for the festival period would be great, especially with the number of visitors we will have here.”

There is only one operating bike-hire scheme in Adelaide following ofo’s decision to leave Australia in July. The council refused to renew Obikes’ permit last year.

The remaining scheme, operated by BikeSA and funded by the council, has a contract only until March 31 after it was extended from December.

The application from Airbike will be discussed at a council committee meeting on Tuesday, and then will go to the full council for a final vote.