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Rent-free bicycle program has more takers than wheels as it proves just too popular
September 25, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
RENT-FREE bicycles in the Minhang District have proven so popular in their first year on the streets that the supply of two-wheelers can't keep up with user demand. To try to alleviate the logjam, the district government is contemplating changing its policy from "one person, one card" to "one family, one card." It is also considering reducing the time each bicycle can be hired out. These proposals have been published on the government website to elicit public comment and ideas.
Riding free bicycles to and from metro stations, grocery stores and other local destinations has been popularly embraced by many Minhang citizens. With the exception of Xinhong Community and Huacao Town, the free-bicycle program covers all other 11 towns and communities of Minhang.
The program is designed to encourage people to pursue an ecologically friendly lifestyle, or green life, to get people out of their cars and thus alleviate traffic jams.
The program also echoes the World Expo Shanghai's concept of a Green Expo. The rental system adopted means that you can borrow a bicycle at one site and return it to another which offers much more convenience for users.
To rent a bike you need a bicycle card, which is called an "rider credits card." As riders return their bikes within certain pre-determined time frames, points are added on the card. More than 120,000 of the cards have already been issued, while the number of bicycles available to program participants is only about 15,000 at present. The gap is huge.
Residents of Hongqiao Town suggested giving one card to each family instead of each person. A pilot project to do that was started in the town, and it is proving successful.
At the end of September, about 10,000 more bicycles will be added to the number in the rent-free pool.
And the time limit per rental may be reduced to one hour from two so that more bikes will be available during heavy-use times.
Riding free bicycles to and from metro stations, grocery stores and other local destinations has been popularly embraced by many Minhang citizens. With the exception of Xinhong Community and Huacao Town, the free-bicycle program covers all other 11 towns and communities of Minhang.
The program is designed to encourage people to pursue an ecologically friendly lifestyle, or green life, to get people out of their cars and thus alleviate traffic jams.
The program also echoes the World Expo Shanghai's concept of a Green Expo. The rental system adopted means that you can borrow a bicycle at one site and return it to another which offers much more convenience for users.
To rent a bike you need a bicycle card, which is called an "rider credits card." As riders return their bikes within certain pre-determined time frames, points are added on the card. More than 120,000 of the cards have already been issued, while the number of bicycles available to program participants is only about 15,000 at present. The gap is huge.
Residents of Hongqiao Town suggested giving one card to each family instead of each person. A pilot project to do that was started in the town, and it is proving successful.
At the end of September, about 10,000 more bicycles will be added to the number in the rent-free pool.
And the time limit per rental may be reduced to one hour from two so that more bikes will be available during heavy-use times.
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