Abstract
Since cycling can contribute to sustainability, shared-bicycle schemes have been encouraged as a green technology. In Chinese cities, however, dockless app-based bicycle-sharing systems (DABS) have become a blight, resulting in tremendous waste. Ironically, this stems from the success of DABS—their rapid development and adoption. As an “emergent” technology, DABS in China consist in the confluence of existing technologies and extra-technological factors, situations different from the sum of their parts, where negative consequences are more difficult to identify and address. Additionally, DABS in China are a case of private, app-based technology providing a good traditionally regulated by municipal governments. For these reasons, it provides valuable lessons: The negative consequences associated with DABS in China result from a lack of policy formulation and implementation, failing to consider and address extra-technological dimensions. Private technology companies should not be left to ensure these goods, and municipalities must craft policies to ensure stakeholder interests.
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Notes
- 1.
The exact number of DABS bicycles is unknown. Although Chinese cities have put limits on the number of DABS bicycles allowed, many speculate that these companies continue to illicitly introduce bicycles, such that it is difficult to determine exactly how many are in circulation for use at any one time. For this reason, figures reported throughout this chapter vary.
- 2.
In terms of their lifecycles – for example, their production and use in conjunction with a mobile-based app – DABS obviously depend on energy and, therefore, fossil fuels, which ultimately contribute to emissions. As with other green technologies, for example, solar panels and windmills, these costs often fall from view. We discuss such costs at greater length below.
- 3.
Although this benefit could also result in harm, insofar as it undermines a sense of individual responsibility associated with ownership, further discussed below.
- 4.
Insofar as culture affects a variety of psychological processes and behaviors, the strength of these tendencies might not be uniform across different nations and cultures. Although a full consideration of this issue falls outside the scope of this chapter, with regard to DABS specifically and the adoption of technology in general, it would be a fruitful topic for further discussion and exploration, and below we consider historical and structural factors related to DABS in China.
- 5.
But see Hawes (2017, Mar 2) regarding the way and extent to which concerns regarding private companies acting as agents of the CCP are unfair and poorly founded.
- 6.
Interviews were conducted in March 2018, with four urban planners from the Shanghai Urban Planning and Design Research Institute.
- 7.
We are grateful to a reviewer for pointing this out.
- 8.
Although this could result in users refraining from using the app, since they do not want to be monitored and sanctioned, a survey in 2018 found that Chinese users were much less reluctant to share their personal data than foreign users. We are grateful to a reviewer for bringing this to our attention.
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Clancy, R.F., Chevalier, A., Clancy, R.F. (2021). Dockless App-Based Bicycle-Sharing Systems in China: Lessons from a Case of Emergent Technology. In: Nagenborg, M., Stone, T., González Woge, M., Vermaas, P.E. (eds) Technology and the City. Philosophy of Engineering and Technology, vol 36. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52313-8_9
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