Bicycle-sharing, infrastructure make cycling a popular choice in China

One can unlock a bicycle by scanning a QR code using a mobile app, ride it and park it at a different stand and pay using the same app.

On a May morning, in the Jianguomen area in the heart of Beijing, a father was teaching his son how to ride a bicycle, a mother and son duo came and parked their bicycles at a designated area, and a college student locked his bike using his smartphone after reaching his destination.

“I use shareable bicycles every morning to go to my college. It’s easy and cheaper compared to cabs and is also environmentally friendly,” said Zhang Yi Fei, 23.

Mr. Zhang is not alone and this trend is not limited to Jianguomen.

Across Beijing, people riding blue, yellow and green bicycles are hard to miss and one can see dozens of bikes, at times hundreds, parked outside metro stations. These shareable bicycles belonging to three different private companies have made cycling hassle-free and popular.

One can unlock a bicycle by scanning a QR code using a mobile app, ride it and park it at a different stand and pay using the same app.

For example, from Jianguomen metro station to Ritan Park, which is less than 2 km, there are at least five cycle stands. It is 1.5 yuan (around Rs. 17) for a 30-minute ride and you can also take unlimited monthly or annual passes for as little as 17 and 200 yuan, respectively

Liu Daizong, East Asia Director of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), an international organisation that works with governments to design and implement transport and urban development systems, said he cycles to and from work every day using shareable bicycles.