BY VIKTOR CHONG
viktor@mystar.com.my
Integrating cycling into city life
(From left) Sanjay, Cyberview Sdn Bhd chairman Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah, Najib and Ong.
CYBERJAYA: IT was a day of exercise for urban dwellers as guests and hosts alike took to the streets on orange bikes at 5pm yesterday at the Dash Box Hotel.
The event was launched by Mobike, a smart bike-sharing company which is currently expanding its dockless bike-share service to Cyberjaya in partnership with Cyberview Sdn Bhd and Mastercard.
This expansion is supported by the Sepang Municipal Council; the local authority tasked with the responsibility of providing service and essential amenities to all Sepang residents. Sepang Municipal Council President Datuk Puasa Bin Mohd Taib also graced the event.
Mobike Malaysia country manager Sanjey Chandran said, “Cyberjaya is recognised as a model for the development of smart cities in Malaysia, and we are pleased to be working with local businesses to advance the township’s transformation into a global tech hub.
“Besides, our partnership with Mastercard and Cyberview complements Malaysia’s five-year development plan, a key focus of which is building sustainable cities.
“We have a plan for Mobike to roll out of Cyberjaya to other parts of the city as well. A couple of the city councils are coming out to talk to us about this. Some of the areas Mobike is looking at is Setia Alam.
“In Cyberjaya alone, we have around 100 bikes, but Mobike will be planning to increase those numbers,” he said.
The company’s entire fleet of over seven million bikes is equipped with GPS and proprietary smart-lock technology that connect through the world’s largest mobile-enabled IoT platform.
As Mobike expands across Malaysia, data insights from its Smart IoT platform can be leveraged to support city planners in improving cycling infrastructure and promote greater bike use amongst urban residents.
The deployment of its smart bike-share service in Cyberjaya continues its commitment to the National Land Public Transport Master Plan that aims to integrate all land public transport modes.
Mastercard Malaysia and Brunei country manager Perry Ong said, “This tripartite collaboration with Mobike and Cyberview further underscores our commitment to making cities more connected, efficient and inclusive.
“We are thrilled to bring an integrated payment ecosystem featuring emerging digital solutions such as Masterpass which can contribute to enhanced lifestyle and commerce in support of Cyberjaya strengthening its foothold as a Smart City,” he said.
Mastercard is supporting Mobike’s expansion into Cyberjaya by integrating its digital payments service, Masterpass, with the smart bike’s mobile phone application. By providing riders with a simple, safe and intelligent payment system, driven by the QR code technology within the app, riders can conveniently pay using their mobile phones.
Cyberview Sdn Bhd managing director Mohd Najib Ibrahim said, “In transforming Cyberjaya into a global tech hub, Cyberview has been working tirelessly to maintain and enhance an innovation ecosystem here in Cyberjaya.
“On behalf of Cyberview, I am thrilled to be working with Mobike and Mastercard on an initiative under our Living Lab Pilot programme – where we work with various partners in testing and validating ideas and solutions right here in Cyberjaya,” he said.
Riders are offered the opportunity to register with a one-time fully-refundable deposit at the promotional rate of nine ringgit. At the end of the promotional period, the deposit will return to RM99.
Mobike is also providing one free month of services in October. Following the promotional period, Mobike users can enjoy rides at the affordable rate of RM1.50 for every 30 minutes.
