Helen Deng

    CALLS to restrict the use of electric bikes have been rising in Shenzhen recently, with the media and traffic police almost unanimously blaming electric bikes for rising traffic accidents (P11, Shenzhen Daily, Oct. 12, 2010).

    However, the voices of electric bike riders are largely ignored. Shenzhen has about 300,000 electric bikes on the road and the number is increasing. This is because of the obvious advantages of battery-powered bikes.

    Compared with other vehicles, electric bikes are cheap: While the prices of electric bikes are much lower than motorcycles, their energy cost for per user is even lower than that of buses — with power worth 0.01 yuan a bike can run a kilometer. Electric bikes are convenient to use and riders don’t have to worry about parking space. And, they are eco-friendly: bike batteries are recyclable.

    Therefore, electric bikes are favored by many. For deliverymen and maintenance workers, electric bikes are essential for their livelihood.

    But despite the advantages, electric bikes are frowned on by urban administrators. Guangzhou and Zhuhai have banned all electric bikes for good. Shenzhen allows electric bikes on the road as long as the rider is licensed, but the government is cutting the areas where electric bikes can run. The main reason is road safety.

    According to the Shenzhen Daily report, 105 people were killed in accidents involving electric bikes between 2007 and the first half of 2009. That is, about 42 people were killed in electric bike-related accidents each year. It is an appalling number, but given the high traffic fatalities in the whole city — 719 deaths in 2008 — electric bikes apparently should not be regarded the city’s top killing machine. In many cases, electric bike riders were the victims rather than the culprits.

    It’s true that the number of accidents involving electric bikes is on the rise, and that many riders violate traffic rules, but the riders are not the only ones who should shoulder the blame. Lack of bicycle lanes is also a cause.

    Shenzhen has been continuously expanding automobile lanes which have eaten up almost all the lanes previously set aside for bicycles. Bicycles, therefore, often run on automobile lanes or pedestrian lanes, making it quite dangerous for riders and pedestrians.

    The other reason why traffic police dislike electric bikes is because they are often illegally used as taxis. In densely populated areas like Shangsha in Futian District and Baishizhou in Nanshan District, where there are few bus stops, electric bikes do a robust taxi business.

    Shenzhen’s inadequate public transport network and expensive taxis are among the reasons why bike-taxis are popular. In Longgang and Bao’an, 27 percent of the area is not covered by public buses. In densely populated urban villages like Shangsha in Futian and Baishizhou in Nanshan, it takes more than 30 minutes to walk to the nearest bus stop. In addition, Shenzhen’s taxi fares are among the highest in the nation, unaffordable for average salary earners. So, instead of blaming bike riders for offering taxi services, perhaps the government should consider expanding bus services and lowering taxi fares.

    Electric bike riders are often blamed for exceeding the speed limit. However, the speed limit for electric bikes — 20 km per hour — was set 10 years ago and industry insiders have long been calling for a new standard, given that electric bike technology has been improving.

    Government officials have vowed to crack down on the retailers and users of high-powered electric bikes. Tighter restrictions or an outright ban could be an easy way for authorities to show they are doing their jobs, but any government action should show respect for bike owners’ rights and take into account the livelihood of some residents who rely on the electric bike to eke out a living.

    Instead of resorting to an iron fist, authorities should revise regulations to make the speed limit more reasonable and also consider making insurance compulsory with training in road safety.

    With the number of automobiles in Shenzhen already surpassing 1.6 million and continuing to surge, the city should make room for bikes — pedaled or electric — if it is not to be paralyzed by the exhaust-fuming monsters. Instead of being viewed as a troublemaker, electric bikes can actually be a problem-solver for Shenzhen traffic and the environment.

    (The author is a Shenzhen Daily reporter.)