Duty to remove illegally parked bikes

OVER 200 BICYCLES owned by bike-sharing platforms such as Mobike were impounded last week by the urban management authorities in Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan province for "illegally occupying public space". Changjiang Daily commented on Tuesday:

In the face of mounting criticism about their "rigid, obsolete management", the Chengdu authorities said on Sunday that the impounded bikes had been returned to the owners and the city is working on feasible plans to better manage bike-sharing in the city.

In fact, the Chengdu urban patrol officials have an obligation to remove illegally parked bicycles, whether they are owned by residents or bike-sharing companies. Turning a blind eye to the bikes of Mobikes just because they are part of the emerging sharing economy would constitute selective enforcement.