If you’ve been around Kuala Lumpur, I’m sure you’ve seen several oBikes on the sidewalk or at bus stations. However, recently, the oBikes in Johor Bahru have all gone missing.
This is due to the third-class mentality of city dwellers who have failed to take proper care of the bicycle-sharing initiative, which was part of the Johor Bahru Low-Carbon Society Action Plan 2015-2025.
The programme was launched on January 21 this year (2018) where over 130 bicycles were provided around the city but have now disappeared, reported New Straits Times.
Several oBike stations including the ones at Jalan Bukit Timbalan, Jalan Segget and a bus stop in front of the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) headquarters, were checked and it was found that none were available.
This disappearance of the bicycles was only realised a few months ago, and is attributed to the lack of supervision and tidak apa attitude of the public.
A city council staff who does not wish to be identified said he has no idea as to where the bicycles are.
“All that we know that the programme, which was launched earlier this year, was meant to improve people’s mobility in the city centre.”
“By downloading the oBike mobile app, users need to pay a rental fee before using the bicycles,” he said.
The bicycles were managed by a private company, but the lack of supervision on the usage had caused the bicycles to go missing.
“We used to have a lot (of oBikes), but we have no idea where they all went; whether they were stolen or sold as scrap metals.”
“We could previously see the bicycles at the main station, but we can’t even find them in the drains now,” he said.
Meanwhile, Amran A Rahman, Johor Bahru mayor, said during the city council’s fullboard meeting that over 130 bicycles were available for public use through oBike, with a RM49 deposit and 50 sen rental for every half an hour. There are 13 oBike stations located within the municipality.
Come on, Malaysia, we can’t keep having this kind of attitude towards our country! Let’s take care of public property even if we have no use for them.
Also read: KL Looks Horribly Filthy as People Trashed the Streets During Raya