Bicycle sharing service oBike has been fined RM17,000 by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) after having its bicycles removed from the city. According to reports, the location of the bicycles amounted to an obstruction on public places; especially since the service does not have permission to operate anywhere outside of Subang Jaya.
The fine was issued shortly after council officials confiscated bicycles illegally parked in SS2 last week. Although the incidents only began making news early this week.
As far as Selangor Transportation Committee chairman Teng Chang Khim is concerned, the company has been illegally operating in Petaling Jaya. He has also said that oBike will have to launch a new pilot programme in Subang Jaya; where it actually does have persmission to place its bicycles.
Part of the problem lies with how the transportation is placed out in the open for people to use. Teng says that the station-less concept is too messy, and that oBike must convert to using docking stations. Despite this, the chairman maintains that he is in favour of the bike sharing concept and wants to see it succeed.
MBPJ has said that it has halted the process of drawing up guidelines for bicycle sharing services. This is due to the Subang Jaya Town Council being appointed to draft the guidelines for the state. Possibly due to it actually having a process capable of dealing with oBike’s business model.
[Source: The Star]
