Han Ximin

    ximhan@126.com

    MOBIKE will adopt a credit rating system to punish users who randomly park the bikes in restricted areas such as inside housing estates, parks, buildings, underground passages, motor lanes and exits of Metro stations.

    The system is calculated on the basis of 100 points. Users can get one point added under normal conditions, or 20 points deducted if they park illegally in restricted areas. If a user has less than 80 points, their riding fee will be 100 yuan (US$14.46) for every half hour, instead of 1 yuan. Those who blow the whistle on parking violations by sending photos to the Mobike app will be given credits.

    The operator will designate 100 preferred parking locations through cooperation with property managements, and 16 of them will be put into use before the end of the month.

    Another operator, Bluegogo, has also adopted a similar system and established 48 preferred parking locations through cooperation with Shajing and Xinqiao subdistrict offices in Bao’an.

    The random parking problems, which stemmed from the popularity of app-based bikes in the past months, has irked the public who have supported the decision of police and the transport authority to unveil measures to solve the illegal parking issue.

    As operators have increased the number of rental bicycles in Shenzhen to nearly 120,000, illegal and random parking has been seen on pedestrian streets, as well as in housing estates, parks, and crowded business areas.

    Along the coast of Shenzhen Bay Park, which allows bicycle access, piles of bicycles were seen at several locations stretching nearly 100 meters. Some bicycles blocked half of the pedestrian streets. On the pedestrian walk of Wanghai Road in Sea World, Shekou, a crowded business area, security guards had to pile the bicycles together to make room for pedestrians to pass by.

    “The guidance to designate parking, fines by police and self-consciousness of bike users should play a role in regulating illegal parking,” a resident surnamed Liu said.

    The city’s transport commission previously unveiled guidance for parking bicycles on roads. It plans to set up bicycle parking spaces near bus stops and Metro stations to encourage bicycle commuting. Traffic police also announced rules to fine violators 20 yuan each time they illegally park, and possibly blacklist repeat violators.