Shanghai folk get 1m free bicycles

A Shanghai advertising firm is offering people across the country up to 1 million free bicycle rides a day, as part of a scheme that will run until 2010.

After registering their ID cards, cyclists can pick up and drop off their Ibike Media bikes at any of the firm's service stations.

People can rent the bikes for up to four hours at a time, Li Yi, a press officer with the company, said.