Guangzhou residents are furious that the city is proposing to ban electric bikes, which are ubiquitous in the city and help people deliver goods.

Word of the ban has upset a number of Guangzhou residents, with even Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference member Yang Zhongyi saying it is “simply a joke”.

Delivery services that rely on the use of electric bikes are calling for a reprieve for businesses that make special use of them. Regular bikes are too slow and are only able to carry a fourth of the total weight that an e-bike can.

Water delivery businesses say the ban would “cut off the means to make a living”. A regular bike can’t carry the 9-12 jugs of water weighing 19 kilograms each.

One courier voiced his anger:

On the one hand you need to be environmentally conscious, and on the other hand you need efficiency. Speaking of environmental pollution, these electric bikes don’t pollute the environment. If you don’t let us ride them, how do we raise efficiency? Isn’t this a contradiction?

If adopted, the ban would make Guangzhou the last city in the Pearl River Delta to prohibit the use of the electric bicycle. Zhuhai was the first city to ban e-bikes in 2005, followed by Dongguan in 2007, Foshan in 2008, Shenzhen and Huizhou last year, and Zhongshan this past April. E-bikes will be banned by Zhaoqing and Jiangmen in 2016.

The legislative hearing is planned for November 1 when public opinion will be sought.

Related:

• Chinese Circumvent Ban on Electric Bikes by Removing a Wheel
• Massive Dongguan Fire Destroys Factory, Thousands of Bicycles
• Foreigner in Shenzhen heading to jail… for driving without a license

Photo: 703804