Citizens Trying to Use Ddareungi Turn Away After Seeing Broken Bicycles
15,6803 Cases of Ddareungi Breakdowns from 2016 to August 2019
Seoul Facilities Corporation "Broken Bicycles Recovered and Repaired Within Two Days"
A memo indicating the damaged condition of a Ddareungi bike. Photo by Min Junyoung, intern reporter mjy7051@asiae.co.kr
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Min Jun-young] "I came to ride a Ddareungi bike for a simple workout, but all of them are broken, so I can't use any."
On the 24th, university student A (25), whom we met on World Cup-ro in Mapo-gu, Seoul, said this while seeing that all the bicycles docked at the Ddareungi rental station were broken.
All four bicycles docked here were prohibited from use due to reasons such as "front tire puncture," "rear tire puncture," or "no response," making it impossible for citizens to rent them.
On that day, some citizens who came to use Ddareungi saw the "function malfunction" message on the terminal and either looked for nearby rental stations or turned back. Also, citizens complaining while looking at bicycles that could not be used due to damage were noticeable.
Seoul City introduced the public bicycle Ddareungi in September 2015 with the purpose of solving traffic congestion and environmental pollution problems and promoting citizens' health through bicycle lifestyle.
According to the city, Ddareungi recorded a cumulative rental count of 113,708 in its first year of introduction in 2015 and has shown an increasing trend every year.
The cumulative usage of the public bicycle Ddareungi increased from 1,725,339 in 2016 to 6,756,378 in 2017, 16,818,062 in 2018, and 35,892,856 in 2019, and recorded 38,982,827 as of March this year.
Especially this year, due to the implementation of social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the usage rate of Ddareungi during commuting hours increased by 20.46% and 93.33%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.
The usage rate in February and March this year also rose by 66.8% compared to the same period last year. The total number of Ddareungi rides in February and March was 2,295,809, an increase of 919,479 rides from 1,376,330 in the previous year.
On the 24th, a citizen was looking at a broken bicycle at a Ddareungi rental station on World Cup-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Min Jun-young, intern reporter mjy7051@asiae.co.kr
However, as the frequency of Ddareungi use has increased, cases of breakdowns have also frequently occurred, causing inconvenience among some citizens.
On that day, job seeker B (27), whom we met at another rental station near World Cup-ro, said, "All the Ddareungi bikes at nearby rental stations are broken, so I came here, but this one is broken too, so I can't use it," adding, "I came out because there is a Ddareungi rental station in front of my house, but I am going on a trip just to ride Ddareungi once," expressing frustration.
When B saw the "No response, use prohibited" notice attached to the Ddareungi terminal screen, he said, "There are often many broken bicycles, so sometimes I can't use them and have to go back home," adding, "Now, when I arrive at the rental station, I check whether there is a post-it note on the terminal first rather than looking at the bicycles."
At the Ddareungi rental station in front of Haedamneun Bridge on Jeungsan-ro, Eunpyeong-gu, there was a bicycle labeled "rear tire puncture." This bicycle was also in a state where it could not be rented due to poor rear tire pressure.
An office worker C (28), who came to rent a Ddareungi here, said, "Out of two bicycles, another user rented one, so I tried to rent the remaining one, but it was broken," expressing regret, "I think people treat the bicycles carelessly because they are not personal property."
C added, "Sometimes when I ride Ddareungi with friends to the Han River, if even one person cannot rent due to a malfunction, the situation becomes awkward," adding, "If Ddareungi, which is operated with citizens' taxes, keeps breaking down and cannot be used, it could turn into a tragedy of the commons."
In front of the 'Haedamneun Bridge' rental station on Jeungsan-ro, Seoul, a Ddareungi bicycle with a broken rear wheel is docked and unavailable for rental. Photo by Min Jun-young, intern reporter mjy7051@asiae.co.kr
According to data received by Rep. Lee Hoi-sam of the Democratic Party from Seoul City since last October, the number of Ddareungi breakdowns over four years since 2016 reached 156,803 cases.
The number of breakdowns, which reached 16,688 in 2016, has been increasing every year to 28,886 in 2017 and 59,571 in 2018. Especially, the number of Ddareungi breakdowns that occurred until August last year was 51,658, similar to the total number of breakdowns in 2018.
Looking at the causes of about 50,000 breakdowns last year, the order was △mudguard 7,307 cases (15%) △tire (5,373 cases, 11%) △brake (5,296 cases, 10%) △terminal (5,650 cases, 9%).
Also, among a total of 817 accidents occurring during Ddareungi use, 78 were caused by bicycle malfunctions such as chain derailment and brake failure.
In this regard, the Seoul Facilities Corporation stated, "We frequently dispatch staff to the field to collect broken bicycles."
An official from the corporation said, "Each bicycle delivery team within the corporation is responsible for about 30 rental stations," adding, "These employees inspect the rental stations once a day." He explained, "When users report broken bicycles, the report is received by the administrator within the corporation, and the corresponding staff confirms the bicycle malfunction and collects the bicycle."
Regarding the repair period after bicycle collection, he said, "Simple or minor breakdowns can be repaired immediately, but if parts need to be replaced, it takes 2 to 3 days," adding, "If the frame is damaged or major repairs are needed, the repair period is about one week, after which the bicycle is redeployed to the field."
He continued, "Even though delivery staff check once a day, there are cases where bicycles are docked after the staff has visited, so some are missed," adding, "Due to the COVID-19 situation, disinfection is also focused on, so some sections may be omitted, but broken bicycles are collected within two days at the latest."
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