Cities move to curb number of shared bikes amid parking issues, clogged stations

A number of Chinese cities have moved to put the brakes on the rising number of shared bikes in the streets, as the multitude of bicycles is starting to cause problems, including illegal parking and clogging up the areas around bus and subway stations.

Beijing is the latest Chinese city to unveil measures to contain the number of shared bikes on the streets, along with more comprehensive measures to regulate the thriving business.

Zhou Zhengyu, head of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, said on Tuesday that Beijing will likely control the number of shared bikes, according to the Beijing Evening News. Zhou also signaled that the city will soon issue guidelines for the bike-sharing industry.

“Bike-sharing is a very good way of commuting. The problem is about management; [we] will mostly ask companies to properly manage their businesses, including observing parking rules and bike safety,” Zhou was quoted as saying by the Beijing Evening News.

Prior to Beijing, a number of cities including Shanghai had already barred companies from putting more bikes on the streets. Other cities are also mulling similar measures.

More measures could come soon for the bike-sharing industry as companies continue to put more bikes on the streets to compete for market share. It is causing headaches for some city residents and officials as the bikes are crowding city streets, as well as bus and subway stations and communities.

Mobike and Ofo, two of the largest bike-sharing companies in China, on Tuesday declined to comment on Beijing’s new measures, but they said they would work with local governments and communities to address the various issues.