INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightJump BikesUber users around the world may soon be able to hire electric bicycles through the app, after the ride-sharing firm
bought US bike-hire firm Jump
Based in New York, Jump allows riders to rent electric-powered "pedal assist" bikes via an online platform
Its bikes are also dockless and do not need to be returned to a specific place.Uber, which already has a tie-up with Jump in San Francisco,
said it would now look to "scale" the bikes globally
Uber chief Dara Khosrowshahi said: "We're committed to bringing together multiple modes of transportation within the Uber app - so that you
can choose the fastest or most affordable way to get where you're going, whether that's in an Uber, on a bike, on the subway, or more."The
David Bailey, a professor at Aston Business School, told the BBC: "Uber is looking at this partly because it is fast growth area but it is
also looking forward to a time when we won't own cars
"Autonomous cars are coming and in big cities you won't need to own a car in future
You might want to use an Uber taxi but then finish the journey on a bike
So it's about offering multi-modal transport."Image copyrightJump BikesFounded in 2008, Jump Bikes has launched conventional bike-sharing
schemes in 40 cities across six countries, including in Brighton in the UK
"pedal assist", meaning their batteries only kick in when you are pedalling.Users also locate and unlock the cycles with their smartphones
and use a built-in lock to secure the bike to a rack at the end of their ride
Analysis: Victoria Fritz, BBC transport correspondentBike-sharing company Jump and ride-hailing service Uber have more in common than you
Both join the dots in journeys between traditional lines of public transport
Deploying a fleet of vehicles is one way to get a passenger from door-to-door
Owning a fleet of electric bicycles offers another
Both companies concentrate their efforts in cities, where governments are keenest to rid the roads of cars
There are over a thousand different bike-sharing companies currently in operation across the world
The vast majority have yet to turn a profit
The likes of Uber, however, are prepared to play the long-game
Scale and brand recognition are critical
Transport in cities is a winner-takes-all kind of business
Didi expansionThe Jump deal comes as Uber faces growing competition from competing ride-sharing operators in international markets
Last week, Uber sold its South East Asian operations to regional rival Grab, retaining a 27.5% stake in the Singapore-based firm.It follows
a similar deal in 2016 with China's Didi Chuxing, which on Friday also said it would open in Mexico - the firm's first launch outside Asia
Didi said it would start off with a car service, but according to Reuters, it is also considering allowing users to hire motorcycles and
