Earlier today, bike sharing operator oBike announced the immediate ceasing of its operations in Singapore
In a statement released online, they cite “difficulties foreseen” with the new Land Transport Authority (LTA) requirements and guidelines as the reason for closing down.
The issue that got the most people worried about was the refund of their deposits. Typically, oBike deposits cost S$49, with students paying only S$19.
In their statement, oBike said that users who wish to continue using their services could do so with Grabcycle.
However, a spokesperson from Grab clarified and said, “We understand that oBike has decided to cease operations in Singapore due to their difficulties in meeting regulatory guidelines. This means that we will no longer be able to offer oBike’s bicycles on the GrabCycle marketplace effective today, as oBike will not have the appropriate bike-sharing license to operate in Singapore, nor will they be maintaining their fleet of bicycles”.
They also added, “With one fewer partner, we understand that our customers’ experience will be impacted. As such, we will be waiving all existing GrabCycle subscription fees and deposits”.
Most netizens were hardly worried about switching to another app such as GrabCycle, without getting their deposits back first.
Many others were also for fewer bike sharing companies in Singapore.
