Addressing the problems in bike-sharing

A reporter uses her cellphone to scan the QR code on a mobike on October 19, 2016 in Beijing. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

By the end of 2016, the number of bike-sharing app users in China had reached 18.9 million and the market continues to grow. However, problems have emerged that call for more attention. Thepaper.cn comments:

Bike-sharing is flourishing in China, but as it has grown problems have emerged. Many people just leave the bikes anywhere, without giving a thought to whether they are causing an obstruction.

Some of the bikes are locked by selfish users so others cannot use them. Fraudsters even glue a payment code to the shared bikes so people who mistakenly scan them transfer money to them rather than the bike-sharing company.

Most of the problems are because the market has expanded so rapidly, there has not been time to address the issues when they emerge and before they become a problem.

To solve the problems requires the cooperation of all those involved. Local governments need to establish areas where the bicycles can be left and ensure bicycle lanes are properly used. The companies concerned need to review and strengthen their user rules, while the users need to better learn these rules.

Bike-sharing is a convenient and green means of urban transport, we hope it will be successful without negative side effects.