Kakao Mobility, a mobility platform operator owned by messenger service provider Kakao, will launch an e-bike sharing service on March 6, making a foray into what is known as the micro-mobility segment, according to news reports March 5.
The company’s e-bike service will initially be available in some parts of Incheon as well as in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Users of the Kakao T application, which also offers other mobility services, including a taxi-hailing service and a carpooling service, can pick up electric bicycles parked nearby and leave them anywhere after a ride. The base fee for a 15-minute ride is 1,000 won (US$0.89), and riders pay an extra 500 won every five minutes thereafter. First-time users have to pay a refundable 10,000-won deposit.
The mobility firm will start out with 400 dockless e-bikes in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, and plans to increase the number to 1,000 this year. In Seongnam, around 600 Kakao-brand bikes will be available.
In December, Kakao Mobility partnered with bicycle makers Samchuly and Alton Sports to procure e-bikes that meet the current legal standards.
“The shared e-bikes will be able to serve as an effective way for short-distance trips for users,” a Kakao Mobility representative was quoted as saying in the local Maeil Business Newspaper.
By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)