Ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc said on Monday it has agreed to buy electric bicycle service JUMP Bikes, allowing Uber to offer U.S. passengers an alternative to cars and further consolidating the crowded bike-sharing industry.JUMP is a dockless electric bike service that has rolled out in San Francisco, where it has 250 bikes, and Washington. About 100 JUMP employees will join Uber, an Uber spokeswoman said. The Uber spokeswoman said the company had no plans to withdraw the standalone JUMP app.The deal signals a shift for Uber toward a wider set of transportation options in urban centers. JUMP bikes are unlocked and locked using a smartphone app. The company has raised about $11 million from investors.JUMP is part of the bike-sharing craze that made its way to the United States after sweeping through China.

Source: Economic Times April 09, 2018 14:38 UTC