New: You can now listen to articles.Singapore’s bike-sharing market is now left with just two operators, local player Anywheel and Chinese firm HelloRide. No doubt, SG Bike’s exit will offer lessons for them and policymakers looking at active mobility.
Nevertheless, the much hoped-for shake-up that bike-sharing would bring to how we move around the city never materialised simply because cycling never became a habit nor the choice of travel for most.For behaviours to change and new habits to form, three key components should be present: The capability, the opportunity and the motivation to carry out the behaviour, which psychologist Susan Michie and colleagues developed as the COM-B model.
Psychological barriers may further inhibit the use of bike-shares, such as hygiene concerns, uncertainties over regulations on where bikes can be parked, or even negative memories from past experiences. More than 200,000 users were left with unrefunded deposits when oBike suddenly exited in mid-2018.
How can we multiply the opportunities where bike-sharing can be seen as a viable option, especially when we see fewer bikes than before? How do we tackle the challenge of making bikes out of sight, but not out of mind? No doubt there are some who heed the call for sustainability or see the personal health benefits of cycling. Chances are, though, they already own bikes.
The longstanding challenge of recycling is one example. Beyond national campaigns, blue bins and the Bloobox, what else is needed for individuals and households to be able to and want to engage in high-quality recycling?