The Dynamics of Public Participation in New Technology Transitions: the Case Of Dockless Bicycle Hire in Manchester

New technologies are playing an increasingly important part in shaping the development of city transport and the wider built environment. Relatively litt le att ention has, however, been given to how the technologies evolve in social and political terms, so that the public are not just seen as the passive receivers of new technology. Technological transitions are not only about the technology, but also about the social and political implications of innovation and how people respond to the new mobility. Participatory exchange and the policy process are essential parts of that approach. This paper explores the dynamics of how a technological innovation failed as a niche-innovation in terms of the socio-technical transitions framework. It uses the case study of the Mobike dockless bicycle hire scheme in Manchester to illustrate the reasons for failure. These included poor participatory practice in the earlier stages of the scheme, together with the inability of the innovator to respond appropriately through participatory exchange, including the direct participation of the public through the technology, in the implementation stage.