Chinese taxi hailing company Didi’s bike rental service, Didi Bike (青桔单车, meaning green tangerine bike in Chinese), was suspended for one day for not obeying the local law, Chinese media Shenzhen News is reporting.
Bike rental companies hugely spread out last year, filling the Chinese streets with rental bikes. In order to manage rental bicycles, Shenzhen City Transportation Committee has previously issued the “Implementation Plan for Shenzhen Internet Rental Bicycle Regulatory Management and Renovation Action Plan” (our translation, 深圳市互联网租赁自行车规范管理整治行动实施方案) clearly requiring that, from August 23, 2017, there should be no new shared bicycles put on the streets of Shenzhen.
However, in the early morning of March 17, the Shenzhen government claims Didi illegally placed Didi Bikes. Didi staff were notified by various departments and they were required to immediately remove its bikes. The launch sites included Futian, Baoan, Longhua and other districts, with the number of bikes reaching approximately 20,000 units. Didi’s own-branded bikes Didi Bikes are temporarily shelved, but riders can still rent ofo and Bluegogo bikes in Chengdu and Shenzhen using DiDi app.
“We are in constructive communication with Shenzhen authorities and hopeful of finding a way to serve the city with more convenient and eco-friendly mobility options,” a spokesperson from Didi told TechNode.
Didi Bike was formally launched in Chengdu on January 25 this year, replacing Bluegogo bikes. Didi’s own branded bikes were gradually launched in five cities in China including Chengdu, Dongguan, Foshan, Nanchang, and Hefei. They are second or third-tier cities that has room to grow since first-tier cities are dominated by Mobike and ofo bikes. On January 17, Didi announced that its bicycle rental platform will land in Beijing and Shenzhen, and said that its sponsored Bluegogo will be on the road again.
This is not the first time that Didi received a red card from Shenzhen’s transportation authorities. Previously, Didi launched and operated bicycle rental service in Shenzhen under the name of Bluegogo, and was suspended.