Han Ximin

ximhan@126.com

SHENZHEN will suspend operators from putting more app-based bikes on the streets starting Friday and require them to check on the condition of the existing bikes.

At a joint meeting of related departments Thursday, which aimed to solve prominent problems such as illegal parking, the government required operators to collect bikes that are illegally parked in restricted areas within 30 minutes, otherwise the authorities would reserve the right to collect the bikes.

Bikes are restricted from being left on motorist lanes or confined in parking locations along roads designated by the government agencies.

The operators are required to standardize the parking of the bikes in residential, office and business areas and in public places near schools, hospitals and urban villages.

If they have an insufficient number of employees tasked to maintain and manage the bikes, at a ratio of five employees to every 1,000 bikes, they will be required to cut their bike numbers.

The operators were also required to take measures to regulate illegal and random parking and announce their management of deposit accounts through apps to their users.

With the popularity of app-based bikes, problems such as illegal parking, riding and deposit disputes also grew.

Statistics from the city’s transport commission showed there are so far about 890,000 app-based bikes in Shenzhen.

So far this year, the city reported 26 app-based bike accidents, which led to 11 deaths and 16 injuries. Among them, 14 accidents involved ofo bikes, in which six were killed and eight were injured. The 10 Mobike-related accidents led to four deaths and seven injuries.

Statistics show that Shennan Road, Dongmen Road and Houhai Boulevard are the three roads with the most violations, such as illegal use of vehicle lanes and running red lights. Most violations were committed during rush hours, especially from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Since July, traffic police have implemented a rule to suspend violators of non-motorized vehicle traffic rules from using app-based bikes.

Within a year, violators will be suspended from using app-based bikes for a week for one violation, a month for two violations and six months for three or more violations.

From July to Aug. 13, 86,249 violators of non-motorized vehicle traffic rules were suspended from using app-based bikes.