Society

Electric bike bans spark debate

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-23 16:26

Not only delivery companies, but also many other low-income service sectors, such as restaurants offering takeout food, appliance repair stations and newspaper delivering centers, are affected by the ban.

E-bike producers argue that local governments should not put all the blame on the bikes for the rising number of traffic accidents.

"When you're talking about the rising numbers of road accidents involving electric bikes, you should also recognize that the number of electric bikes on the roads is growing faster," said Ni Jie, director of Luyuan Electric Vehicle Ltd Co.

Also unscientific traffic management might be the reason for the increased number of such traffic accidents, he said.

Wu Hongyang, an expert with the China Academy of Transportation Sciences, agreed that local governments should improve the traffic management system for non-motor vehicles. "The electric bikes should be regulated rather than banned," Wu said.

He said regulations on electric bikes are needed with regard to traffic management measures as well as in production safety standards of the bikes.

According to the current rules, e-bikes should not weigh over 40 kg and should not travel more than 20 km per hour.

However, a large number of e-bikes do not to meet the design standards and riders often break the 20 km speed limit.

Wu called for the government to strictly enforce the safety standards and create a safe traffic environment for the public.

At the same time, both local governments and e-bike producers should improve the recycling system for the vehicles' batteries.

"After all, electric bikes have the remarkable advantages of being energy efficient as well as needing less space to park and drive," Wu said.

"It's time for the country to find a way to guide the healthy development of the electric-powered bike industry," he said.