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Didi,
which bought the Chinese unit of rival Uber Technologies Inc's [UBER.UL]
last month, said it would look to include bicycles as an option
on its app as part of plans to develop a transport ecosystem.
Users of its app can currently only book taxis and private cars.
"If it's only two or three miles away, or the traffic is
crowded, I can just ride a bike and go," Didi spokesperson Liang
Sun said.
In recent decades bicycles have waned in popularity as China's
middle classes turned to cars. But interest has revived as city
streets become clogged with traffic and more people become
health-conscious amid rising obesity levels.
ofo, whose name resembles a bicycle, was originally established
as a student start-up project in the campus of Peking University
two years ago.
Users of its platform can book bicycles for as little as 0.5
yuan ($0.075) a ride and the company is now China's top
bike-sharing platform.
Other start-up bicycle sharing platforms in China include
Shanghai-based Mobike, which was founded by a former Uber
executive.
The deal also comes as Didi recovers from a costly battle with
former rival Uber China [UBER.UL]. The firm is buying Uber's
China operations to create a $35 billion ride-hailing giant.
(Reporting by Jackie Cai and Brenda Goh; Editing by Stephen
Coates)
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