China to impose bike-sharing rules as complaints soar

This article is more than 12 months old

Jul 07, 2017 06:00 am

SHANGHAI Authorities in Shanghai and Tianjin will impose regulations on the rapidly growing bike-sharing sector following mounting complaints over an accumulation of millions of the rentable two-wheelers on city streets, state media reported.

The two metropolises have drafted rules that will require operators "to adhere to standards on production, operation and maintenance" of bicycles, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.

The regulations, to take effect on Oct 1, will mandate a service life of three years for bikes and require companies to hire at least one maintenance employee for every 200 bicycles, it said.

It added that there were now more than 10 million such bikes on the streets of Chinese cities, operated by more than 30 companies.

China's bike-sharing sector has exploded from virtually nothing about a year ago into a transport phenomenon. - AFP