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OPINION
By Alieu Jallow
Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
China’s growing use of shared bicycles and electric motorcycles is offering an affordable and convenient means of transportation for millions of people, a model that could provide lessons for The Gambia as the country continues to grapple with rising transport costs and persistent mobility challenges.
In cities such as Chengdu, Sichuan Province, bicycles are readily available across the streets, allowing residents and visitors to conveniently pick up a bicycle, make payment through a digital platform and ride to their destination.
The system operates largely on a time-based payment model rather than a fixed fare. In Chengdu, a ride of less than 30 minutes can cost around 1.8 yuan, approximately D18, making bicycle transport considerably affordable for ordinary commuters.
The availability of bicycles and electric two-wheelers has helped provide an alternative for people travelling short and medium distances, while also reducing dependence on fuel-powered transportation.
For many users, the appeal goes beyond affordability. Cycling provides physical exercise, while electric bicycles offer a relatively fast and convenient means of navigating busy urban areas.
The experience in Chengdu comes at a time when many Gambians continue to face serious transportation difficulties, particularly as rising fuel prices have contributed to increased fares and placed additional pressure on ordinary households.
Commuters travelling within the Greater Banjul Area regularly contend with long queues, overcrowded vehicles, traffic congestion and unpredictable travel times.
For some commuters, the time spent moving between different parts of the Greater Banjul Area can be so lengthy that the journey feels comparable to travelling between countries by air, highlighting the extent of the transportation challenge.
The Chinese model demonstrates how technology and private-sector investment can be combined with transportation services to create alternative mobility options.
Companies operating digital payment and technology platforms, including Alipay, have played an important role in China’s digital ecosystem, making it possible for users to access and pay for services through their mobile devices.
The concept is relatively simple: find an available bicycle, scan or unlock it through a digital platform, pay according to the duration of use and leave it at a designated location after completing the journey.
For The Gambia, adopting a similar model could provide an additional layer to the existing public transportation system rather than attempting to replace taxis, minibuses, and other forms of transport.
Telecommunication companies, technology firms, financial institutions, transport operators and the Government could work together to explore whether a locally adapted bike-sharing system could work in the Greater Banjul Area.
Such an initiative could have benefits beyond transportation.
Affordable mobility could make it easier for workers to reach their places of employment, students to access schools and institutions, traders to reach markets and residents to access essential services.
It could also create new employment opportunities in bicycle maintenance, charging stations, fleet management, digital payment services, software development and other related areas.
For the Government, promoting bicycles and electric mobility could also contribute to efforts aimed at reducing congestion, lowering dependence on fossil fuels and encouraging more environmentally friendly forms of transportation.
However, introducing such a system in The Gambia would not be without challenges.
Questions around theft, vandalism, road safety, maintenance, regulation, parking and the availability of suitable cycling infrastructure would need to be addressed before any large-scale implementation.
The sustainability of the initiative would also depend on whether companies can maintain their fleets, keep prices affordable and generate enough revenue to continue operating.
These concerns, however, do not necessarily make the idea unworkable.
A pilot programme could first be introduced in selected areas of Greater Banjul, allowing the Government and private-sector partners to assess demand, safety, costs and public acceptance before expanding the system.
GPS tracking, user registration, digital payments, designated parking points and clear regulations could also help address security concerns.
The Gambia would not need to copy China’s system entirely. Instead, it could learn from the Chinese experience and develop a model suited to the country’s population, road infrastructure and economic realities.
At a time when transportation costs continue to put pressure on Gambian households, innovative and affordable mobility solutions deserve serious consideration.
China’s experience shows that a bicycle can be more than a means of exercise. With technology, investment and the right regulatory framework, it can become part of an urban transportation system capable of improving mobility, supporting economic activity and contributing to a more sustainable future.
For The Gambia, the question may therefore not be whether bicycles can solve all transportation problems, but whether they can become part of a broader solution to a challenge that continues to strand thousands of people every day
