MIT Technology Review Subscribe

Uber acquired a dockless-bike firm but has a hard ride ahead

The world’s biggest ride-hailer is confident that you’ll want to bike part of your journey to beat congestion. Some cities might not be quite so keen to let Uber be the firm to fill their streets with bicycles, though.

The news: Uber has acquired Jump Bikes, which rents out bright-red electric bicycles that can be picked up and left anywhere, to customers in Washington and San Francisco for $2 per 30 minutes. Uber hasn’t released details of the acquisition.

Advertisement

Why it happened: Uber says it’s “committed to bringing together multiple modes of transportation” so that its customers “can choose the fastest or most affordable way” to get around. Biking can definitely be faster than taking a car during rush hour. It’s also a good, eco-friendly PR move.

This story is only available to subscribers.

Don’t settle for half the story.
Get paywall-free access to technology news for the here and now.

Subscribe now Already a subscriber? Sign in
You’ve read all your free stories.

MIT Technology Review provides an intelligent and independent filter for the flood of information about technology.

Subscribe now Already a subscriber? Sign in

But: There’s a risk the service eats some of Uber’s shorter car journeys. It’s a crowded market, with competing firms and civic schemes already present in many towns. And some cities have been plagued with abandoned dockless bikes, which means officials may be wary of letting Uber flood the street with them—particularly given the firm’s track record at flouting rules.

This is your last free story.
Sign in Subscribe now

Your daily newsletter about what’s up in emerging technology from MIT Technology Review.

Please, enter a valid email.
Privacy Policy
Submitting...
There was an error submitting the request.
Thanks for signing up!

Our most popular stories

Advertisement