Bicycle-sharing system Facts for Kids

A bicycle sharing system lets you borrow a bicycle for a short time. It's like a public library for bikes! You can find these bikes in many cities around the world. They are a great way to get around and help the environment.

These systems are popular because they offer a sustainable and often fun way to travel. You usually pick up a bike from a special station, called a dock, and return it to another dock of the same company. Sometimes, the bikes are free to use for a short period, or they might have a small fee that increases the longer you keep the bike.

What is Bike Sharing?

Bike sharing means that many people can use the same bicycle. Instead of owning a bike, you can rent one whenever you need it. This is helpful for short trips, like going to school, visiting a friend, or exploring a new city.

How Does it Work?

Most bike sharing systems work in a similar way:

Find a bike: You use a mobile app or a station kiosk to find an available bike nearby.
Unlock the bike: You pay a fee or use a membership to unlock the bike. This might be with a credit card, a special key, or a code from your phone.
Ride: You use the bike for your trip.
Return the bike: You return the bike to a designated dock or parking area. Some newer systems let you leave the bike almost anywhere within a certain zone.

Why Use Bike Sharing?

Bike sharing has many benefits for cities and people:

Good for the environment: Bikes don't produce pollution, helping to keep the air clean.
Reduces traffic: More people on bikes means fewer cars on the road, which can ease traffic jams.
Healthy and fun: Riding a bike is a great way to get exercise and enjoy the outdoors.
Saves money: It can be cheaper than taking a taxi or public transport for short distances.
Easy to use: You don't need to worry about storing or maintaining a bike.

Types of Bike Sharing Systems

There are two main types of bike sharing systems:

Docked Systems

Docked systems use special stations where you pick up and return bikes. These stations usually have racks that lock the bikes in place.

How they work: You unlock a bike from a dock and must return it to an empty dock.
Examples: Many early systems, like Vélib' in Paris or Capital Bikeshare in Washington, D.C., use docked stations.
Benefits: Docks help keep bikes organized and prevent them from being left in random places.

Dockless Systems

Dockless systems do not require fixed stations. Bikes can be picked up and left almost anywhere within a city's service area.

How they work: Bikes have a built-in lock, often controlled by a smartphone app. You find a bike using GPS on your phone, unlock it, ride it, and then lock it again when you're done.
Examples: Companies like Mobike and Hellobike are famous for their dockless systems.
Benefits: They offer more flexibility since you don't need to find a specific dock.

History of Bike Sharing

Bike sharing isn't a new idea! It has been around for many years, evolving over time.

Early Ideas (1960s)

The White Bicycle Plan: In 1965, a group in Amsterdam, Netherlands, started the "White Bicycle Plan." They painted bikes white and left them around the city for anyone to use for free. The idea was to share bikes and reduce car use. However, many bikes were stolen or damaged, so the plan didn't last long.

Modern Systems (2000s onwards)

Technology helps: With new technology like GPS, mobile apps, and smart locks, bike sharing became much easier to manage.
Growth around the world: In the 2000s, many cities started their own bike sharing programs. Paris launched Vélib' in 2007, which became one of the largest systems.
Dockless boom: In the mid-2010s, dockless systems became very popular, especially in China, with companies like Mobike and Ofo expanding rapidly.

Bike Sharing Around the World

Many cities have embraced bike sharing as a key part of their transportation.

China: Cities like Hangzhou and Shanghai have had some of the largest bike sharing systems in the world.
Europe: Paris, London, and Barcelona are just a few European cities with successful bike sharing programs.
North America: Cities like New York, Washington, D.C., and Montreal have popular systems.
Asia: Seoul, Taipei, and Singapore also have large and well-used bike sharing networks.

Images for kids

Docked bicycles in Gothenburg, Sweden.
A white bicycle, like those used in the Wittefietsenplan movement.
Rental bikes in Turku, Finland.
White bicycles for free use in Hoge Veluwe National Park in Gelderland, the Netherlands.
Three Bycykel bikes returned at a coin deposit station in Aarhus City Bikes.
Hangzhou Public Bicycle system in China.
A dockless bike from Mobike, with an electronic lock.
A Hellobike, from one of the biggest bike sharing companies.
A shared-use bicycle being maintained by company staff.
A station of EnCicla in Medellin.
The Youbike station near Tamsui Station of Taipei Metro.
Ddareungi (Korean: 따릉이) is Seoul's bike sharing system, set up in 2015.
Paris Velib rental station with a bank card reader.
A bicycle station in Washington, D.C., powered by solar panels.
A LinkBike station in George Town, Penang, launched in 2016.
BicikeLJ in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
A shared bicycle that was left in the grass.