Lin Min

    linmin67@hotmail.com

    ON Saturday, I downloaded a bicycle rental app, paid a 299 yuan (US$43) deposit, found a bicycle near my home on the app and joined the fleets of colorful bicycles that are now shuttling streets in Shenzhen, a new city scene after several companies launched app-based bicycle rental service in October and November.

    Ninety minutes later, I finished my cycling trip at the Shenzhen Bay Park Station of Metro Line 9. As I locked the bicycle, the app charged the fee automatically. To my delight, it was only 1.5 yuan (US$0.22), even cheaper than the bus fare for the trip.

    I am among a rapidly growing number of Shenzhen residents who welcome the onslaught of a flood of app-based rental bicycles provided by several companies that are rushing to compete for a foothold in the local market.

    Just about one month after its debut in Shenzhen in October, Beijing-based startup Mobike put about 30,000 app-based rental bikes on the local market, and announced the number of its distinctive orange bikes will reach about 100,000 by the end of the year. Other operators, like Bluegogo and ofo, have also made forays into the local market, with the total number of app-based rental bikes in Shenzhen reaching more than 60,000 as of early this month.

    Compared with traditional public rental bicycles, which have to be taken and parked at designated bike stands, app-based rental bicycles are more convenient to use as users can park them at most open public places, making it an ideal method for short-distance travel and for commuters to connect with public transport. The apps also allow users to look for an available bicycle closest to them on their phones because the bicycles are equipped with GPS. The low charges, mostly between 0.5 yuan and 1 yuan per 30 minutes, also contribute to their surging popularity.

    Bike lanes needed

    Despite these advantages, the emerging app-based rental bicycle service faces a series of challenges. One big obstacle is the shortage of dedicated bicycle lanes in Shenzhen. Over the past three decades, Shenzhen has devoted the bulk of road resources to automobiles, with pedestrian paths and bicycle lanes narrowed down to make roads wider to meet the demand of a growing number of cars.

    Zhang Xiaochun, a member of the city’s political advisory body, said in June that cars have access to a lion’s share of Shenzhen’s right of way. Cars use about 50 percent of road resources but provide 24 percent of the city’s commutes, while non-motorized commutes, accounting for half of the city’s daily travel, take up only 20 percent. Shenzhen boasts a 2,400-km greenway network, but it is not linked to every community.

    “In my community there are only pedestrian ways but no bicycle lanes. Quite often I have to bike on motorways and this makes me worried about my safety,” Xie Yitao, who lives in Shixia in Futian District, said.

    The city government has encouraged green commuting among residents to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution from automobile exhaust emissions. Several districts have purchased services from private operators for public rental bicycles at designated locations in the past several years. However, improving infrastructure for biking is essential for more residents to choose bikes for commute or exercise, and this can only be done by the government.

    Risks for users

    With the low fees, many analysts have expressed worries that the business model of app-based rental bike services may not be sustainable given high operating costs. Each bike costs between 400 and 3,000 yuan, and maintenance costs can be huge as these bikes are usually placed in open spaces, subject to rain and high temperatures. In Guangzhou, it was reported that about 10 percent of rental bikes suffer from various levels of damage. The rental fees and interest from deposits may not be enough to make the services viable. If an operator becomes insolvent, users may not be able to get their deposits back. Users may also face increased rental charges after some competitors are eliminated.

    The lack of regulations pertaining the rights and obligations of operators and users also means disputes could arise in the case of accidents or damaged bikes. App-based bicycle rental is a new thing and not covered by existing laws and regulations.

    Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending websites had been booming in recent years amid a vacuum of relevant laws. The watchdogs took action to regulate the P2P market this year, but not before a large number of people fell victim to fraud. Therefore, local legislatures around the country should consider making laws to regulate the rental bicycle market to protect the legal rights of users as well as operators.

    Parking problems

    As app-based rental bikes are not confined to designated locations or stands, they are parked by users virtually without any supervision. This could lead to bicycles blocking ways and entrances, or parked at undesirable locations. Last month, the management committee of the Zhongguancun Software Park in Beijing impounded several rental bikes that were parked on sidewalks, green belts and motorways.

    An official with the Shenzhen Municipal Transport Commission also raised questions about the legality of the operators and the way bikes are parked. “We welcome shared bikes as long as they are legal. The legality of Mobike and other operators is not decided by the commission. However, they have not obtained official permission for bicycle rental service, which is a business activity that requires a license,” the unidentified official told the Southern Metropolis Daily.

    Many app-based rental bikes are parked on bicycle lanes or pedestrian walks, which is not allowed, he added.

    Li Ruimin, associate professor at Tsinghua University’s Transport Research Institute, told zgjtb.com that the government should clarify on right of way, parking facilities and locations.

    Officials with the Shenzhen Municipal Transport Commission convened a meeting with representatives from the app-based rental bike operators Dec. 5, requiring them to set up teams to supervise the parking of rental bikes. The operators were also asked to clarify rights and obligations with users, and purchase insurance for users.

    In the early years of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, bicycles reigned on Shenzhen streets. The emergence of app-based rental bicycles provides a great opportunity for the revitalization of this green, healthy way of commuting.

    “I will use rental bikes service to commute to and from my company rather than driving if there is a special bicycle lane,” said Wang Sijian, a Nanshan resident whose company is about 3 km from his home. “If the government acts promptly to regulate the new market and provides better infrastructure for biking, I believe more and more Shenzheners will bike as much as possible.”