Mobike is reportedly considering whether to continue operating in Newcastle and Gateshead .
The bike-sharing firm is said to be assessing its position following continued problems with vandalism.
Since they were launched in 2017, Mobikes have become a familiar sight across on Tyneside.
The bikes, which can be hired using an app, have split opinion, with some praising the scheme, while others argue the distribution of bikes can look messy.
But Mobike has faced problems with vandalism and dumping of its bikes.
We have previously published photos of the distinctive orange two-wheelers dumped in busy areas and also in rivers.
And with Manchester on its “final warning” over spates of theft and vandalism, the firm is said to be considering its future in the North East.
According to The Guardian, every month this summer 10% of the Chinese firm’s bike fleet went missing in Manchester.
Steve Milton, Mobike’s global communications and marketing leader, told the paper: “This is not an idle threat. It’s not PR ... The losses are not sustainable. We are going to have to draw a line under this at some point.”
The Guardian reported that the firm is “assessing its position in Newcastle Gateshead” where there have been issues with vandals - though “not on the same scale” as in Manchester.
In Newcastle, bikes have been spotted impaled on fences or dumped in streams, with some even being dredged up by boats from the bottom of the river Tyne.
Mobike did not respond to requests for comment on the firm’s current position in the North East.
However in June, Lindsay Coulthard, Mobike’s operations manager for Newcastle, told us in reference to the problem of bikes being dumped in the Tyne: “Mobike, Newcastle City Council and Northumbria Police are working closely to avoid these issues, which includes potential prosecutions against people who damage Mobikes.
“We are also focusing on educating people on how bike-sharing work, as well as on showing Mobike’s health and environmental benefits for the city.
“We urge all users to park in designated parking areas and to report any misuse of Mobikes they see to the Mobike customer service team.”
