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Meet the team who rounds up the ofo bikes around the Valley

Posted at 10:24 PM, Mar 27, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-28 01:40:22-04

Dockless bike-sharing is the Valley's newest transportation trend.

The blessing of dockless bike-sharing can also be its curse.

"It honestly feels a little bit like herding cattle."

Ofo Fleet Manager Matthew Hall doesn't mind his job collecting the bright yellow bikes.

He spends a decent percentage of his day rounding up the bikes left in random spots by riders.

"Looks like this bike is in the courtyard of an apartment complex," he explained.

Critics of dockless bike-sharing are concerned that riders can pick them up anywhere and leave them anywhere.

Ofo General Manager Paul Vidal is working hard to cut down on those complaints.

"If it's a bike in the middle of the street, we will be there immediately," Vidal said.

He stays on top of the company's roughly 1,000 bikes spread between Scottsdale, Mesa, and Tempe.  

More than 30 employees work around the clock to collect the bikes and place them where they're easily accessible, yet out of the way.

"We move them from where they aren't supposed to be, one, so they aren't a nuisance and two, so people can continue riding them."

Ofo has an app which shows where every bike is and how long its been there. That's how employees know where to find them.

The company hopes by being a good neighbor; other cities will soon welcome them.

"We want to provide a transportation service, not just for fun, but some people ride these to work, as part of their bus route, it's part of life," Vidal said.

Renting a bike costs $1 per hour.

If you have a complaint, you can e-mail support@ofobike.com.