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Chinese bike-sharing giant Mobike is coming to this London borough first

Dockless bike-sharing firm Mobike, which recently launched its UK operations in Manchester to much fanfare, will be making its London debut in Ealing after the council granted the firm permission to begin operating in the Borough.

According to China Daily, the Chinese biking giant, which has raised $1bn this year alone, will launch its dockless biking service in Ealing at the end of July with a pilot project in Acton.

The programme will deliver an initial 750 of Mobike’s specially designed bikes, which include GPS and smart locking with a smartphone to track user journeys, and a spokeless design to limit the need for maintenance.

The plans were approved on Tuesday night at a meeting of the council’s cabinet, and Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for transport, environment and leisure, said: “We welcome Mobike’s decision to start operating in Ealing.

“Hiring a Mobike is an easy way to give cycling a try over short distances, without committing to the expense of buying a bike, and we hope that residents will be encouraged to get out of their cars and cycle instead.”

The move could mark the beginnings of an aggressive UK expansion for the company which began operating in Manchester at the end of June, and was already in discussions with Transport for London (TfL) about launching in the capital.

Mobike’s dockless system, which allows users to ride for as little as 50p for half an hour following a refundable £50 deposit, is viewed as a potential threat to the dominance of the ubiquitous but far less affordable Boris bikes.

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