Yantian District in Shenzhen has unveiled a plan aimed at making the city much greener. A total of 5,000 public bicycles are now available – for free – for people to rent for the first hour. A two yuan per-hour fee will be charged for every hour thereafter.
The system is called the “Public Bicycle Transportation System” and the aim is to have bicycle leasing and return stations so widespread that people can rent and return bicycles almost anywhere in the district. Shenzhen people will need to register to rent one of the bikes with their ID cards.
The complete system is said to be put into service after the Chinese lunar new year. As of December 15, the program’s operating office has received more than 1,500 applications for bike rental passes from citizens, while about a thousand pases were given out.