Uber says it will launch bike-sharing services throughout Europe by the end of the summer.
ADVERTISEMENTRide-hailing app Uber is launching its bike-sharing feature in Europe after acquiring the startup JUMP in April.
The acquisition came from Uber’s effort to be a truly multi-modal transport service.
The electric bikes, where available based on indicated zones on the Uber app, are locked and unlocked with a pin sent by Uber. Their location is tracked via GPS. The bikes are dockless, so can be left locked at any public bike rack, which eliminates a significant infrastructure cost for Uber.
"The team is working hard to bring JUMP to Berlin by the end of this summer and we also plan to launch in additional cities across Europe in the coming months," said Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi at a conference in Berlin.
JUMP CEO Ryan Rzepecki told TechCrunch in an interview that his decision to sell to Uber came down to Uber’s ability to realise the company’s vision quickly, and on a large scale.
Despite a rocky past year for Uber, filled with countless lawsuits, CEO Travis Kalanick resigning, and traditional taxi-driver protests forcing some Uber services to shut down, Rzepecki said he’s optimistic about the company’s future.
Aside from trying to optimise modes for urban transportation, Uber is also trying to focus on being environmentally friendly by “tackling air pollution, reducing congestion and increasing access to cleaner transportation solutions," according to Khosrowshahi.
Uber hopes to launch its fully-electric Uber Green service in Berlin by the end of the year.