I had that in mind when a few years later, I joined ofo as UK Policy & Strategy Manager with the aim of bringing low cost, accessible bike share to London and the UK.
On 1 July 2017, when we had already launched Cambridge with just 50 of our first-generation bikes. Although at that stage these were our first-generation bike and not the sleek yellow bikes you see today, they were being ridden and we were helping people unlock their city.
As the summer heatwave hit and the country seemed to run out of fans, dockless bikes came to London, and not in the way we expected. While ofo was in close conversation with several boroughs, thousands of Londoners woke up one morning to find that another company had deposited thousands of little silver and lemon-coloured bikes parked in clumps across the city. Reports filtered in that they were heavy and unwieldy, difficult to ride and poorly understood. TfL and the boroughs were unsure how to respond at first and we now know the robust action they took to remove the bikes and ask the operator to meet.
At ofo we knew that carpet bombing the city with bikes was not the right approach. While there are no specific regulations for dockless bike share in the UK, our collective wisdom told us that we had to work with boroughs, TfL, the cycling community of London and the wider London community to reach our ultimate aim of making London the second Amsterdam.
With this in mind, we launched in Hackney, London on Car Free Day 2017 with our latest three-speed, GPS-tracked bikes. And since then we’ve continued to work closely with the boroughs and local communities.
One year on, London has experienced four companies launch in the city. Only two remain, only ofo retains a commitment to low-cost bike share for every Londoner, not just those who live in the Santander bike area.
We remain resolute that the only way to succeed is at a local level. We now operate in ten London boroughs and cover an area more than twice the size of any other operator. We have worked with the London Cycling Campaign, countless local community groups, and maintain a close relationship with all levels of government.
ofo has proved that station-free bike share can work in London and the UK. We have plans to integrate more deeply with other services and to bring a more seamless experience for our users. Our recent daily and monthly pass options, and Citymapper integration are just the first step in this direction.
Many forward-thinking councils in London have championed working with ofo (or other shared transport innovators). Many have been reluctant to change or experiment with innovative services such as ofo and this is to the detriment of every person living in or visiting this great city.
Our dream endures that every Londoner can confidently ofo from Seven Dials to Shoreditch, Putney to Twickenham, Euston to Shepherd’s Bush and everywhere in between. Rather than covering their ears, London’s decision makers must lead by stepping forward and determining how innovative services such as ofo can work in our great city. Yes, a new service comes with risks, but the risk of doing nothing is greater. The status quo is no longer an option.
I have high hopes for London as I make my next step. In moving to Frankfurt, Germany I will be fulfilling a long dream to properly learn my husband’s native tongue and to live on the Continent. Having commuted between London and Frankfurt for the last 8 months, we are both looking forward to living in the same city again.
After a year in ofo I have learned a great deal about what works and what doesn’t. The fundamentals of bikeshare in the UK are straightforward – have a good bike, work with not against government and communities, and it will take longer than anticipated. But we are here to stay. I am convinced that ofo has proved that the non-docking bikeshare has a place in Britain and continues to have the potential to transform our urban areas for the better. I am proud of the part I have played in bringing ofo to the UK.
As a 21-year-old I explored the sights of the US capital then-innovative docked hire bikes. My dream is to return to London in a few years as a 30-something-year-old and unlock the UK’s capital on the latest innovation – a shiny yellow dockless e-assist ofo bike.
This piece was originally posted on LinkedIn.
