Six Sydney Councils Have Teamed Up To Crack Down on Share Bike Operators

Dockless bike sharing companies operating in Sydney are being forced to step up their game or get off the streets, as a new set of rules and regulations is rolled out across the city.

As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, mayors from the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Waverley, Inner West, Randwick and Canada Bay councils banded together to write the latest guidelines for local share bike services — an attempt to boost pedestrian safety and help make a dent in the number of rogue share bikes clogging up the streets.

In these council areas, operators are now required to move bikes from dangerous spots within three hours and be proactive in redistributing them, to deacitivate any damaged bikes immediately and to have them removed within one week. Other rules require bike share companies to have public liability insurance, to unlock bikes for council staff upon request and to have a manned repair phone service operating between 6am and 9pm.

The councils are also requesting operators introduce virtual boundaries or 'geo-fencing', where bikes must be parked in order to avoid penalties.

Other councils are yet to jump on board, with some denying having any issues or complaints associated with dockless share bikes.

The new rules come after three Melbourne councils outlined their own set of share bike guidelines in October.

Via smh.com.au