Despite the rising popularity of dockless bikes, the system has its flaws.

Dockless bike-sharing is a growing trend in cities worldwide. However, this business model comes with its fair share of challenges that have hindered its success. A recent blog post by the Chinese bike-sharing app Mobike revealed that they have lost a staggering 205,600 bicycles.

Mobike has encountered various issues in the evolving bike-sharing sector. The company had to cease its operations in Manchester due to multiple incidents that made conducting business there unfeasible. Reports of theft and vandalism plagued the company, despite the bikes being tracked through an app. In response, Mobike rebranded as Meituan Bike and expressed gratitude to the more than 189,000 users who reported damaged or stolen bikes.

In contrast to other bike-sharing platforms, Meituan Bike implements a credit system that incentivizes responsible bike usage and penalizes misconduct. Negative actions like theft can result in users being banned and reported to the authorities. The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau has even apprehended 2,600 individuals for theft and vandalism involving Meituan Bike bicycles.

Bike-sharing services such as Meituan Bike are designed for short journeys within a city. However, some users have been known to misuse the bikes by taking them home or discarding them in improper locations, including rivers and canals.