Manchester is the latest city with its bike hire scheme suffering unacceptable losses. Around 10% of their hire bikes are disappearing every month and they now say if this carries on they will have to shut down the scheme. Some end up in the canal, some are destroyed by vandalism and some are "privatised", kept in people's gardens for personal use only
Similar schemes in Paris, Montreal and at least one Chinese city have also suffered huge losses, many others keeping tight lipped about it. Googling for up to date loss information about London's Santander bikes drew a blank, only finding about losses in 2012 and 2015, but I know that it has twice had to have additional large cash support from the GLC to cope with unexpected costs and Barclays abandoned it due to the rising costs.
From the outset I've felt that the failings of most societies and their policing are likely to make most such schemes far more costly than any benefit they may confer.
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Similar schemes in Paris, Montreal and at least one Chinese city have also suffered huge losses, many others keeping tight lipped about it. Googling for up to date loss information about London's Santander bikes drew a blank, only finding about losses in 2012 and 2015, but I know that it has twice had to have additional large cash support from the GLC to cope with unexpected costs and Barclays abandoned it due to the rising costs.
From the outset I've felt that the failings of most societies and their policing are likely to make most such schemes far more costly than any benefit they may confer.
.
