Source: Taiwan Strait Net
Taiwan Strait Network, August 2 (Strait Herald reporter Yu Jianping, Sun Chunyan) "The price of shared bicycles has risen again, and it has become a 'price assassin'? The bikes are almost unloaded! Recently, the topic of "multi-place shared bicycle price increase in disguise" rushed to the hot search, making the once "convenient and cheap" shared bicycle attract a lot of complaints.
Yesterday, the Herald reporter investigation found that although the price of shared bicycles in Xiamen has not yet been adjusted, consumers generally feel that "the price of shared bicycles in Xiamen has risen, and it is only a matter of time before Xiamen has risen". In the eyes of more people, the shared bicycles that solve the "last mile" of many migrant workers are obviously not only the price.
It has risen in many places, and the price has begun to start at "ten minutes".
Recently, Hello Bike, Didi Qingju and other companies have announced that they will raise their prices in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Wuhan and other places, and the charging standard will be adjusted from 1.5 yuan for the first 15 minutes to 1.5 yuan for the first 10 minutes on weekdays, and the starting fee for weekends and holidays will also be adjusted from 1.8 yuan for the first 15 minutes to 1.8 yuan for the first 10 minutes, and 1 yuan for the next 15 minutes.
The starting price of shared bicycles has officially entered the "ten-minute era", which has made many Xiamen citizens nervous.
Last night, Miss Yu from Haicang scanned a Qingju bicycle and rode from home to Haicang Sports Center. The route is about 4.5 kilometers long, takes 17 minutes, and when you reach your destination, the return page shows that you will be charged 2.5 yuan. "It may be that the billing standard of each city is different according to the city, time period, etc., and the pricing standard I see is still the same as before." According to the order details in Miss Yu's mobile phone, the starting price of Qingju shared bicycles is 1.5 yuan, 1.8 yuan on holidays, and you can ride for 15 minutes, and after more than 15 minutes, you will accumulate 1 yuan for 15 minutes.
Two hours later, Ms. Yu swept another Meituan bicycle and returned according to the original route, which also took 17 minutes and cost 2.5 yuan. Both bikes are charged at the same rate, and neither has increased its price. "I often take this route, riding a little faster for 1.5 yuan, and a little slower for 2.5 yuan." Miss Yu said that on the same route, it takes 15 minutes to drive one-way, and the cost of a round trip plus parking fees goes straight to 30 yuan; The taxi takes a similar amount of time and costs 25 yuan; The bus ride takes at least 45 minutes and costs 1 yuan. In contrast, it is more economical to share bicycles.
In the final analysis, the operating costs are too high
In fact, this is not the first time that the price of shared bicycles has risen, in December 2019, Didi Qingju increased prices nationwide, marking the arrival of the "1.5 yuan era" of shared bicycles. The most recent price increase was in April this year, when Meituan, Haro and Qingju bicycles in Shanghai, Guangzhou and other cities saw their starting prices rise from 1.5 yuan per 15 minutes to 1.8 yuan per 15 minutes during the Qingming holiday.
In response to rising prices, some industry insiders said that the operating costs of large cities, including the labor costs of vehicle iteration, warehouse management, and operation and maintenance, are much higher than those in small cities. "Shared bicycles have a short life and high wear and tear." Xiao Li, a shared bicycle maintenance worker, told the Herald reporter that the operation cycle of shared bicycles is usually three years, but in big cities, due to the greater demand for riding, the rate of vehicle wear and tear is significantly faster, and some vehicles need to be replaced in advance in less than three years.
According to the prospectus of Hellogo, in 2020, nearly half of its operating costs were depreciation costs. Yang Lei, CEO of Hello Mobility, has also publicly stated that the daily operation and maintenance and depreciation costs of a bicycle are about 1 yuan, and a bicycle costs 365 yuan a year.
Not only that, when the capital ebb and the tuyere recedes, bike-sharing companies have to face pressure on profitability. According to public information, more than ninety percent of Hellogo's revenue comes from shared two-wheeler services, but in the three years from 2018 to 2020, it has suffered a cumulative loss of 4.9 billion yuan. Meituan's situation is similar, with losses of up to 20.2 billion yuan in new business segments, including bike-sharing, in 2023.
Spit on the love-hate bike-sharing
As the solution of the "last mile" of travel, shared bicycles have brought good news to many people. In some large cities, shared bicycles have developed into an important tool for public transportation connections such as subways, buses, and light rails.
However, how much I like the shared bicycle, how profound the complaint about it is, which is obviously not only the price problem, but also the quality of the bicycle, riding a bicycle is like opening a blind box, and I can't find a parking spot and other problems that make users feel a headache.
"I still remember the last time I rode from the subway station to a hotel for dinner, and when I rode to find that there was no place to return, it took me more than ten minutes to find a place, and I spent more money and wasted time, which is really hard to describe." Speaking of the last ride, Miss Guo's face was full of unease.
Miss Zeng also had a similar experience: "I spent 1.5 yuan to ride a shared bicycle for less than 10 minutes, and finally spent 10 yuan on a dispatch fee to park, and I didn't want to pay this money to ride the bicycle into the operation area. ”
In addition to scheduling problems, the quality of shared bicycles often makes Miss Yu uncomfortable, she said, sometimes in the busy peak period of cycling, it is not easy to find a shared bicycle without quality problems, pedals, chains, brakes, a small problem in a random small part, it may make people "ride for 10 minutes, sweat for half an hour." ”
Save money
High-frequency single time is not cheap, buying a card will be more discounted
According to the data of Qichacha, there are 53,200 bicycle-sharing related enterprises in China, and the number of related enterprise registrations has continued to grow in the past ten years. Fujian ranks fourth in the country.
According to the data of enterprise investigation, there are 494 bicycle-sharing related enterprises in Xiamen. Since 2019, the number of registrations of Xiamen-related enterprises has increased year by year, and the number of registrations in 2023 will exceed 100, a year-on-year increase of 93.18% to 170, reaching the peak of registration in the past five years. So far this year, 94 have been registered, more than half of the registrations in the whole of last year.
Behind the rapid growth of shared bicycles is the public's need for a "sharing economy", so how can you enjoy shared services without spending a little money?
Mr. Jiang made a move - taking advantage of the preferential activities to buy a bicycle riding monthly card. "17 yuan can enjoy the right to ride 20 times a day for 30 days, with a maximum discount of 6 yuan each time. 20 times in 30 days, which is enough to meet the needs of commuting to work and cycling after work. Mr. Jiang said that the preliminary estimate is that a monthly card for sharing bicycles, that is, the money for a cup of milk tea, can save at least 100 yuan for monthly travel expenses.
In fact, the cycling card has become a mandatory choice for citizens who use shared bicycles frequently on a daily basis. Miss Yu also bought a monthly cycling card last month, and one night, she pinched the time, re-scanned a bicycle every 1.5 hours, completed a 40-kilometer ride, and paid 0 yuan. "According to the calculation of riding 2 times a day and 40 times a month, a monthly card of 15-17 yuan will cost only 3-5 dimes per time." Ms. Yu said that she plans to pay for a monthly subscription so that she can indeed save a lot of money every month.