Most of us have experienced running late for work or an appointment that's too far to reach by foot... but not close enough to take public transport.<br />And a number of so-called micro mobility platforms in the country are looking to close this gap.<br />Our Oh Soo-young has more. <br />It's one block too far to walk, but too close to take a taxi or a bus.<br />In recent months, new sharing platforms have been popping up in Korea,... creating dockless mobility solutions for commuting and traveling short distances around the city. <br />A bike-sharing service in Seoul offers rental rates of 200 won, or less than 20 cents, for ten minutes,... compared to the fixed hourly rates charged by existing bike-share platforms.<br />"Our service helps reduce commute time substantially and also make it more enjoyable. Our users mostly use G. Bikes for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, although some use it for much longer."<br />As the bikes are dockless, based on a GPS system,... you don't have to look for a designated bike stand when you arrive at your destination. You can simply leave it there for someone else to use.<br />Electric scooter rentals are also offering a more compact and speedier way to get around the city while beating the traffic,... and can go up to 25 kilometers per hour. <br />"Scooters have largely been used for leisure but it is rather an ideal means of transport in a complex city. It's also eco-friendly. 80 percent of cars on the road are used by the driver alone. Electric scooters are one-hundredth of their size and also consume one-hundredth the amount of energy, without emitting greenhouse gases. The number of users and the level of usage has grown three-fold since March 1st."<br />"As convenient and popular as electric scooters are, there are still some safety issues and regulations that need ironing out."<br />Electric scooters can't be used on sidewalks or bicycle lanes as they could pose a danger to pedestrians and cyclists traveling under 25 kilometers per hour. <br />Platform companies have complained this hinders their businesses from growing.<br />Given the surge in demand for micro-mobility services and promising market prospects, a transport ministry official has said some of these restrictions may be eased and safety standards revised during the latter half of this year.<br />Oh Soo-young, Arirang News. <br />
