Chinese cities putting the brakes on shared bikes

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Some of China’s largest cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu are discouraging the expansion of the bike-sharing industry. Nationwide there are 70 bike-sharing brands, 16 million bicycles, and 130 million users, according to China's Ministry of Transport (MOT). City officials have expressed issues with haphazard parking of the bikes obstructing crowded areas and disrupting traffic, as well as the sheer amount of bikes creating safety concerns as the the large mass of new users interacts with motorized vehicles. Cities are now regulating the number of bikes on their streets and tightening the contractual obligations of shared bike operators. In hopes of finding a long-term solution, Chengdu will experiment with electronic fences, multi-story bike parking, and reallocation of bike fleets based on observed demand.

Learn more from Global Times and China Daily.