The local government of Semarang, the capital city of the Central Java region, has recently launched an eco-friendly initiative in the form of a bike-sharing platform and app.
According to a recent report, GOWES is an e-bike and e-scooter platform that provides transportation alternatives for the locals and the tourists that come to visit the city.
A total of 30 units of bikes, 20 units of e-scooters, and 10 units of e-bikes were available to try in a government-facilitated CFD event.
The SIM card and internet connection being used to support the tracking device feature of the bike-sharing platform are provided by an Indonesia-based mobile telecommunications operator.
The launch of the platform in Semarang aims to provide a transportation alternative to the area, which is free of air and noise pollution.
Moreover, its presence will promote a healthier lifestyle for all of its users, especially to the local residents of Semarang.
GOWES will be made available in the tourist spots all over the city first.
These spots include the legendary Lawang Sewu, the gift shops centre, the Goa Kreyo, and the Buddhist worship temple Kelenteng Gedung Batu Sam Poo Kong, among others.
The goal is to eventually increase the number of fleets in the city.
The bike sharing platform is utilising the Tracking Device & Digital Indonesia Map as well as the Internet of Things (IOT) technology.
Each of the bikes can be tracked using both technologies thereby allowing the users to leave the bike anywhere within the operational area of the platform.
To which, a team from the platform will just collect the bikes after use.
It is very easy to operate and use the platform. The first step would be to download the app. The app can be downloaded by both Android and iOS smartphone users.
Upon downloading, the user can open the app and discover all the bikes around them. They can find the bike nearest to their location.
Once a bike is found, the user must scan the barcode in order to unlock the bike. The user can now enjoy the ride.
After the ride is over, one can simply manually lock the bike to automatically end the trip.
Credits can be added into the app by topping up in digital kiosks.
The platform is also operating in Bali, covering Kuta, Legian, Sanur, Nusa Dua, and Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) in Bali.
It can also be found in Jakarta, specifically in the Monumen Nasional (Monas) area, the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK), residential areas such as Bintaro Jaya and Nava Park BSD City, and at Telkom University, Bandung.