(China Daily)
Updated: 2007-08-22 07:12

The public bicycle rental scheme should be included in the public transportation system to curb pollution and ease congestion, says an article in China Economic Times. The following is an excerpt:

Details of the bicycle rental scheme were announced in Beijing this week. A total of 50,000 bicycles will be put up for rent across the city ahead of the Olympic Games. New bicycles will be available at 230 outlets close to subway stations, commercial districts, Olympic venues, hotels and office buildings as well as in big communities, according to the scheme to be run by Beijing Bicycle Rental Services. People can rent a bicycle for a year for 100 yuan ($13) or a day for 20 yuan.

This move should be applauded.

In fact, public bicycle schemes exist in many cities around the world. In Paris, the cost to rent a bicycle is one euro for half an hour.

Comparatively, the yearly rent in Beijing is not high. But the daily rent of 20 yuan and the 400 yuan deposit is a little steep. As we all know, the biggest problem about bicycles is theft. However, renters will not be responsible for the theft if the bicycle is parked at a site of the service network. But when sites are limited, this could affect the scheme.

The scheme should also promote the benefits of using bicycles - it seems to be deficient in this respect. The 50,000 bicycles are not for the convenience of 50,000 residents but much more. One month after Paris introduced its Velib scheme, its 10,000 bicycles were borrowed 1.2 million times. We should also aim to guarantee the bicycles are used for short-distance travel, and not possessed by a small number of people for a long time.

Another problem is that Beijing's bicycle rental scheme is to be operated by a company where profit margins come into play. In this case renting bicycles may not be a profitable business, but more a public service. Thus the durability and stability of the scheme is of concern.

(China Daily 08/22/2007 page10)