Melbourne claims first Uber bike victim after Princes Park pond sighting
Melbourne has a chequered past with share bikes, but that didn’t deter transport giant Uber from launching its latest scheme this week. The city’s newest bike share scheme was hit by vandals less than 24 hours after launching.
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It took less than 24 hours for one of Melbourne’s new Uber Jump bikes to go for a swim in a Carlton North pond.
The sighting, posted on Reddit, adds another damp chapter in Melbourne’s bikeshare history, which is soaked with oBikes being pulled from the Yarra River, and being found dumped in laneways.
But that didn’t deter Uber, which is more renowned for its rideshare and food delivery offerings, from launching its Jump electric bike service in Melbourne on Wednesday morning.
It initially released 400 bikes that people can jump into the saddle using the Uber app.
But less than 24 hours into a trial period that will see the City of Melbourne, Yarra and Port Phillip have access to the bikes, a keen observer wandering Princes Park in Carlton stumbled across a submerged Jump bike.
The all-too-common act comes despite warnings from Uber stating anyone who misuses or incorrectly parks their ride could be fined or banned via the Uber app.
And Uber says it has already swooped on the errant bike.
“We’re delighted with the strong response from Victorians who have so far embraced Jump,” a spokesman said.
“Across hundreds of rides, there has been just one incident of vandalism.
“After receiving a report, we located the e-bike using GPS functionality and swiftly returned it to the warehouse.”
Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp said she was frustrated and disappointed to see one of the share bikes dumped just hours after its launch.
“We have already seen one of those fabulous bikes end up in a pond in Carlton North,” she said.
“This sort of behavior is frankly so passe, really. We are a global city that wants to be able to operate a share bike system.
“They’re absolutely fantastic ways for people to get around our city.
“I hope that Jump is able to use its technology ... to identify who that person is and to strip them of their privileges to show that this sort of behavior will not be tolerated.
“Let’s be the sort of city that can have a shared bike scheme, it seems ridiculous that we can’t.’’
In 2018, it was revealed more than 250 oBikes had found their way into the Yarra River in just a one-year period.
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