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'Park Anywhere' Electric Bike Hire Launched in Milton Keynes

posted by chromas on Wednesday November 28 2018, @01:01AM   Printer-friendly
from the Keynesian-bikenomics dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

BBCTech:

What is claimed to be the UK's first dockless electric bike hire service has begun, despite the risk of vandalism.

Lime said its motor-assisted bikes in Milton Keynes would be accessible for people of any age or fitness level.

They can be unlocked for £1, ridden for 15p per minute, then parked anywhere "responsibly" after use.

Santander pedal bikes can already be rented in the town for £1 per 30 minutes, but over half were vandalised and not in use during summer 2017.

More bikesharing makes it more convenient to cycle, but will drivers share the road?

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 28 2018, @01:25AM (5 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 28 2018, @01:25AM (#767130)

    give it 6 months until most of the bikes are stolen, vandalized, or destroyed.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 28 2018, @01:37AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 28 2018, @01:37AM (#767136)
    One or two geeks will see it as a challenge to take the bike apart and work out the best "defanging" procedure (to remove the wireless link.) Then they publish their notes on the interweb tubes, and next morning the theft of the century begins.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 28 2018, @02:38AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 28 2018, @02:38AM (#767155)

      If it likes the obikes, you pull off the cover on the solarpanel/battery compartment, find the two wires leading into the compartment next to it, and apply 3.3V across those... according to a friend. When I tried on the one dumped outside my place it didn't work, but that bike might've just been busted up too badly.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 28 2018, @02:47AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 28 2018, @02:47AM (#767159)
        Probably the traction battery was discharged. Hardly unusual if the bike is dumped. Well, soon we'll know how the new batch works.

  • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 28 2018, @02:50AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 28 2018, @02:50AM (#767162)
    In this business all that matters is to gather up the willing investors. After money changes hands, the bikes can be melted down. The investors make their own small profit on it. Otherwise there would be no fools to invest into an obvious disaster.

  • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday November 28 2018, @06:15PM

    by bob_super (1357) on Wednesday November 28 2018, @06:15PM (#767393)

    At least it's the UK.
    Try that in Southern France or Italy, and the GPS chips will cheerfully tell the owners they are now visiting the Mahgreb.