Bike sharing system / Azzri Fickri M.Yussli … [et al.]

The Bike Sharing System is basically a social service in which bikes are made available for shared use to individuals on a short-term basis, free from any worries of ownership & maintenance. It offers subscription that makes the first 30 to 45 minutes very inexpensive, thus encouraging it to be used as a mode of daily transport. The Wuhan & Hangzhou Public Bike-Share program in China is a great example of bike sharing system at work in the real world. Bike Sharing Systems are divided into 2 categories “Smart Bike Programs” which are implemented by government agencies and “Community Bike Programs” which are organised mostly by local community groups or non-profit organizations. This study will focus on the latter, and will test the system out in universities and higher institutions of learning. This will provide us with the added advantage of a controlled environment. In addition, most universities have already provided the necessary infrastructure for the bike sharing system to be implemented. For example, pedestrian walk ways and bike lanes in University Putra Malaysia. The main idea of this system is to provide commuters with a free or affordable access to bikes for short distance trips in an urban area as an alternative to motorised public transport or private vehicles. As a result, reducing traffic congestion, noise, air pollution, release of greenhouse gasses, improve health and fitness level of users and provides for a green and sustainable business. Furthermore, bike sharing schemes has been cited as one of the ways to solve the “last mile” problem and connect users to public transit networks. Public bike sharing system helps to address some primary disadvantages to bicycle ownership, such as theft, vandalism, lack of parking or storage and maintenance requirements. Users have been known to feel very liberated by its ease of use. By limiting the number of places where bikes can be rented or returned the service itself becomes a form of public transport. Nonetheless, these programs can be rather costly especially when they are conducted in a large scale by government agencies unless subsidised by businesses or commercial interest, typically in the form of advertising at bike stations or strategically placed on the bikes itself. Bike sharing systems have undergone lots of changes through time.