Chinese bike share company, Mobike, launches first service in UK

Global Business

In China, they’re calling it  Mobike-mania.The reaction to a rapidly expanding bike-share start-up boasting 100 million rides every day and used in 130 cities. 

Such the success of the company, big-money investors are getting in on the bike hire boom, giving Mobike the financial muscle and confidence it needs to bring pedal power to the world.

The latest city to sign up to Mobike’s two-wheeled business juggernaut is Manchester in the UK’s North West.

CGTN’s Richard Bestic reports.

Company bosses have said they hope the U.K. two wheelers follow the route taken in China.

“It’s been so popular in China and already in Manchester you can see how popular it is.  The people that have been coming and talking about it here now, it’s really popular.  So I’ve got no doubt that it’ll spread throughout the world,” Steve Pyer,  Mobike U.K. General Manager said. 

Mobike is rolling out its business model across Britain, ultimately with plans for a U.S. invasion.

Now out of China, Mobike has big ideas for going global with a billion dollar war chest.  

“It’s a bright shiny new toy and unfortunately there’s a minority of people that want to ruin it for everyone else.  But it has been a minority.  Overwhelmingly, it’s just a lot of love in Manchester, people are loving Mobike,” Pyer said.


Fu Xiaolan discusses Mobike’s global expansion plan

CGTN’s Rachelle Akuffo spoke with Fu Xiaolan, director of the Technology and Management Centre for Development at Oxford University, about bike-sharing start-up Mobike’s global expansion plan.