In a number of cities, Birds are swooping in and roosting on sidewalks. These Birds are of the electric rather than avian species, and the scooters are but one brand of shared transportation. The global consulting firm Roland Berger put the number of shared bicycle schemes at 1,250 as of December 2017 and the worldwide fleet of cycles at 10 million. The industry has its challenges, ranging from financial pressures and new market entrants to safety concerns, ill-fitting regulation, and vandalism of bikes and scooters. But for many, signing up for a share creates new options for covering short distances.
