Ofo will launch the dockless bike share pilot in Richmond upon Thames.

People will be able to ride for just 50p per half hour, with a maximum daily cap of £5. Simply collect and leave ofo bikes anywhere on the public highway but you must not block the pavement. Using wider areas of pavement or places with traditional bike parking is best.

Users of the new system will register on an app and use this to locate the closest bike, to release it using a given code and to pay for the hire. The bikes can then be left and re-locked, ending the hire period, anywhere in the area of operation. As a result cycling becomes possible even if you don’t have a bike of your own and can easily be combined with other transport options.

Bicycles will start appearing shortly and be phased in over a number of months, starting with roughly 200 bikes and growing to meet demand for the service over time. Ofo has committed to redistribute the bikes as necessary and to manage the bikes in a way that does not create an obstruction to other road users, particularly pedestrians. The Council will be monitoring the pilot very closely and we also welcome feedback.

The confirmation of Ofo follows an announcement of the Pilot in March. The new programme is made possible by advancements in technology which mean bicycle hire schemes no longer require docking stations, as provided with the current Santander London cycle hire scheme, with the technology instead built directly into the bikes themselves.

Visit www.ofo.com/uk/ento find out more.

— from a Richmond Council press release - 17 April 2018