COVID-19: Impact on Bike Sharing Systems

Coronavirus, or COVID-19, is something that every individual is aware of across the globe, unless like Jared Leto you have been living under a rock for the last two weeks.

The rapid spread of the virus around the world has created a monumental shift in peoples shopping, socialising and commuting habits. Combined with various governments implementing recommendations to avoid packed public spaces which include transportation options such as the tube network in London, trains, buses and subways, commuters and city residents alike have needed to assess alternative modes of getting around.

Step in the bicycle (and scooter) in both their electric and non-electric forms. 

Although many commuters made the logical switch from public transport to micromobility options several years ago, traveller fear of both spreading and contracting the virus are now just discovering these incredible alternatives as well as the various benefits they offer.

So what has been the impact of COVID-19 on bike-sharing systems across the world?

Increased Ridership

Interestingly in China, Meituan’s Mobike, Didi’s Qingju Bike and Alibaba-backed Hellobike are seeing a resurgence of bike share usage after the Chinese bike-share obsession from yesteryear seemed to be cooling down. Longer trips in Wuhan, the epicentre of the ongoing epidemic, almost tripled when public transport was first shut down. 

And this modal shift isn’t observed in just Wuhan, but across China with some operators seeing a 150% increase in trips since February.

In the West, systems across the US have seen a huge demand surge compared to this time last year. Motivate operated systems, Citi Bike, New York and Divvy Bike, Chicago, saw increases of 67% and 100% respectively whilst Philadelphia’s bike share programme, Indego, also seeing almost twice the rides for 2019 in the first nine days of March.

Reduced Ridership

Unfortunately, where some systems have seen an increase, others have seen a decrease in ridership with systems in Seattle, San Francisco and several major systems in Europe reporting fewer trips this month. This is likely caused by more day-to-day commuters being asked to work from home by their employers and people moving around less where possible by whatever means.

In some cities such as Barcelona, the bike-sharing service (Bicing) has been closed in line with recommendations from health authorities however the metro and bus services continue to run and a reduced rate. It is likely that in countries where a state of emergency, such as Peru, has been implemented that bikes will be removed from the systems for safety reasons.

Early Seasonal Launches

Cities that operate seasonal systems, including BIXI Montreal, Oslo Bysykkel and Helsinki City bikes, that would usually be preparing to launch their systems for the start of their seasons during the first week of April, are now working double-time after their local municipalities instructed them to launch earlier than usual.

With the recommendation of being at least 3-feet away from other individuals, bike share systems offer a unique way to get around quickly and easily whilst maintaining this distance something these systems in Canada and the Nordics want to provide.

Increased Cleaning Frequency  

Most major bike share and scooter share operators, from Uber and Lyft to Bird and Voi, have proactively released statements regarding the increased frequency of cleaning measures to ensure that these modes of transport remain in the best possible condition to prevent exposure and spread of the virus. For extra protection, it has been advised to wipe down frequently touched points (such as the handles and seat), wear gloves and wash your hands after use (more in-depth guidelines here).

Time will tell if this change in usage remains in places such as New York, Philadelphia and China as the spread begins to subside and how systems that have seen a drop in ridership and likely operational capacity will deal with a typical Monday morning rush-hour. 

However, as with everything in what we would consider normal daily routine being disrupted by this epidemic, bike and scooter sharing services seem to offer the safest, most convenient way to get around.

If you have any feedback, news articles or observations regarding this article or micromobility usage please don’t hesitate to get in touch.