Mobike offers free rides in Singapore to celebrate 100-day milestone

To celebrate its 100-day milestone in Singapore, bike-sharing company Mobike is giving free rides to its users from now till 31 July.

Also from now till end of this month, users can use Mobike bicycles for free without paying the standard rate of 50 cents for every 30 minutes of use, local media TODAY reported.

The one-time deposit of $49 will be refunded when users stop using the service.

In a joint statement on 6 July (Thursday), the Chinese bike-sharing company also announced a tie-up with MasterCard’s global digital payment solution, Masterpass, within its bike-rental mobile application.

When integrated, riders can sync their Mobike accounts with Masterpass for easier, secure payment.

Based on user data from the last 100 days of operations in Singapore, Mobike said the average distance cycled by local riders is 2.7km, with the longest distance in a single trip being 108km.

Mobike has also implemented over 300 preferred parking zones in shopping malls, schools and other places in the city to provide convenient parking areas for riders.

The company has also set an ambitious goal to implement 1,000 preferred parking zones across Singapore by end of the year.

At the event on Thursday to mark its 100th day milestone in Singapore, Mobike announced that it will introduce a fleet of newly designed bikes. TODAY reported that the company plans to roll out over 10,000 new bikes over an undisclosed time period.

The new models will feature three-gears, an adjustable seat for comfortable riding and solar-powdered headlights.

Last month, another bike-sharing company, ofo, announced that users who want to use its bikes will have to pay. The Chinese company was giving away free rides when it first launched in Singapore.

From 23 May, users who plan to use ofo bikes will have to pay a $39 deposit. They will be charged $1 an hour, capped at $2 for the entire travel journey. Cyclists will be refunded their deposit when they decide to stop using its service completely.

Top image taken from Mobike Singapore’s Facebook page.