Scooters banned from roads in Beijing, Shanghai

China's top two cities have banned electric scooters from roads amid safety concerns, despite the growing popularity of the new modes of transportation, for which there are no national safety standards.

Beijing's traffic authorities said that, starting on Monday, people riding electric scooters on public roads will be fined 10 yuan ($1.50) and told to stay off the road. The ban applies to one- and two-wheeled self-balancing scooters as well.

The announcement was made after traffic police in Shanghai launched a campaign to get electric scooters off public roads, with police officers stopping riders because the scooters endangered traffic safety.