Those bright yellow bikes -- it's like they were almost never even here.
Ofo, the Chinese dockless bike company that launched in Austin in June, is leaving the city as it backs out of most U.S. markets, as well as Germany, Australia, India and Israel.
Everett Weiler, the company's GM for Texas, didn't provide many specifics, but his statement hinted at regulatory barriers.
“As we continue to bring bikeshare to communities across the globe, ofo has begun to reevaluate markets that present obstacles to new, green transit solutions, and prioritize growth in viable markets that support alternative transportation and allow us to continue to serve our customers," he said in a prepared statement shared with Austin Inno. "As a result, we are winding down operations in Austin and we thank the city for allowing us to introduce bikeshare to millions of people in Texas.”
Ofo got its start in Austin earlier this year when it donated 100 bikes to Community First! Village. The company remained relatively quiet as Bird and, later, Lime deployed dockless e-scooters on Austin streets before the city had any laws to manage them.
Then, after the city established rules, Ofo announced it had secured the maximum number of permits allowed by the city and deployed 500 bikes across downtown Austin. It had also been operating in Dallas and on campus at Texas A&M.
The company, like all dockless companies in Austin, is also facing a new set of regulations that take effect in August and require the bikes and scooters to be able to lock to something -- such as a bike rack.
Other dockless companies operating in Austin include Pace, Jump, Lime, Bird, Goat and Spin.
It's unclear how many layoffs may be associated with Ofo's departure in Austin or in other cities. Quartz reported that Ofo will maintain operations in Seattle, San Diego and New York.
