SINGAPORE: Bicycle-sharing firm Mobike has waived the deposit for its Singapore users, four days after its former competitor oBike shut down and customers complained that they were unable to get refunds for their deposits.



Like oBike, Mobike users were also required to place a S$49 deposit. Mobike said it introduced the deposit to encourage the proper use of the bicycles.



The deposit will now be waived because the company has determined that its bikes are being used responsibly in Singapore, the Beijing-based firm said on Friday (Jun 29).

"We would like to thank our riders in Singapore for helping to cultivate a healthy and enjoyable bike-sharing experience for all," said Ms Sharon Meng, the country manager of Mobike Singapore.



"In our show of appreciation, we are waiving deposits for Singapore-registered users," she added.



Both existing and new users who have registered a Mobike account using a local Singapore phone number will not need to pay the deposit.



Existing users can request a refund by logging into the mobile app and selecting the refund button on My Wallet page.

Mobike said it will start the refund process immediately upon receiving the request. The S$49 will then be refunded into the user’s account within 10 working days.

Screenshot of deposit refund page in the Mobike app.

On Monday, bike-sharing firm oBike announced that it will stop operations in Singapore because of difficulties in meeting the new requirements put in place by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to tackle indiscriminate parking.



Following its announcement, there was a sharp increase in the number of complaints against the company.



According to the Consumers Association of Singapore, the majority of complaints were from customers who did not get their deposits refunded from oBike despite requests.



Some said the “refund deposit” option on the oBike app was removed, and some had trouble connecting to the app.

