Tuesday, July 18, 2017

China is Getting Buried in Bicycles

A bikeshare business in China is causing major havoc because cyclists are abandoning their bikes anywhere they want. Authorities are considering new regulations to curb the chaos — from capping the number of bikes to even barring people they consider too small or too big for bicycles.

Unlike the docking station systems in cities like London, Paris, or New York, the bikes in China can essentially be found and left anywhere. In China, riders can grab a yellow, blue, green, or orange bike by opening a smartphone app and pointing their camera at a QR code that releases a lock for as low as 1 yuan (15 US cents). Once the ride's over, they simply park the bike and apply the lock.

Approximately 30 different providers have placed more than 3 million bikes on China's streets. There were 19 million users of shared bicycles in China during 2016 and that number is expected to rise to 50 million by the end of this year. But many users of these bikes simply leave them in the middle of sidewalks or abandon them on freeways. In recent weeks, police around the country have impounded thousands of bikes that were discarded. But companies plan to put thousands more on the streets.

Road laws in China ban children under the age of 12 from riding bicycles on public roads, but children are frequently seen riding the bikeshare bikes to school.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso
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