A new Uber-owned electric bike-sharing service will put hundreds of bikes on Melbourne’s streets as part of a one-year trial.

The cities of Yarra and Port Phillip have signed a memorandum of understanding with Jump, an Uber-affiliate. A City of Melbourne spokesperson said: “Four hundred e-bikes will be introduced to the City of Melbourne in early March, followed by e-bikes rolling out in Yarra and Port Phillip, with more to be deployed as the one-year trial progresses.”

The bikes come with electric motors and helmets.

The trial comes two years after another bike-sharing service found its oBikes thrown in the Yarra River and up trees.

The new bikes have been engineered by Uber over 10 years and are already operating in more than 30 countries.

Bicycle Network, an online community geared towards promoting bicycle-friendly communities, has welcomed the plan. “Bicycle Network has long been as supporter of bike-share schemes,” it said. “We believe that public bikes are key to creating bike-friendly communities that promote bike riding as a viable alternative to driving and public transport.”

Jump’s general manager, Henry Greenacre, said: “Users will get in-app instructions about how to safely use and park the e-bikes. The e-bikes also have built-in cable locks, which means they can be safely secured to bike infrastructure.”

The bikes are not allowed to travel outside Melbourne, Yarra and Port Phillip and users’ Uber accounts will incur penalty charges if they go beyond the boundaries.

In many cities where the new dockless bikes are operating, the cost to use them has increased significantly. In Providence, Rhode Island, the e-bikes originally cost US$2 (AU$3) to unlock. The first 30 minutes were free, then users were charged 7c a minute.

In a 2019 update the e-bikes became free to unlock but the charge increased to 30c a minute from the start. This took the cost of one hour from $4.10 to $18.

Shortly afterwards it was reported that Providence was “pausing” the program after it emerged that users had broken the locks and were using the bikes free.

Despite this, the Melbourne councils are optimistic the new trial will go smoothly.

“Share bike schemes are widely used around the world without the antisocial behaviour experienced previously in Melbourne,” said the City of Melbourne lord mayor, Sally Capp. “Importantly, this agreement doesn’t stop at council boundaries, which will make it easier and more convenient for locals and visitors to explore inner Melbourne on an e-bike.”

Yarra’s mayor, Misha Coleman, said: “We’re always looking for ways to get more people riding bikes in Yarra and e-bikes are one of these options … I really hope it will encourage locals and visitors to make the switch to sustainable transport.”

The Port Phillip mayor, Bernadene Voss, said the bikes were an “accessible and sustainable new transport choice to see the sights or carry out errands, all while reducing traffic congestion and emissions”.

The trial will start in March and be serviced and maintained by Good Cycles, a Melbourne-based social enterprise that works with disadvantaged people aged 18 to 24.

Melbourne was also selected as the international launch city of the Uber Air aerial taxi service in mid-2019.