Beijing puts brakes on electric bikes

Electric bicycles and tricycles on Beijing's roads face stricter regulation as authorities clamp down on substandard and dangerous products.

Since mid-May, the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce has been investigating sales of products that do not conform to national standards.

The authority will introduce new standards to retailers, remind them to stop selling products that don't meet requirements, and contact manufacturers in advance to make sure they meet standards.

Starting from July, the authority will examine illegal sales behavior and revoke the business licenses of those who continue to sell products that fail to meet requirements, it said.

It added that consumers should buy products that meet national standards.

The regulations affect electric bicycles, tricycles, four-wheelers, and scooters for senior citizens.

In 2015, there were more than 31,000 accidents in Beijing involving these types of vehicles, resulting in 113 deaths and more than 21,000 injuries, according to the figures provided by the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau.

Many electric bicycles and tricycles on Beijing's roads are operated by express and food delivery workers. China is the world's biggest food delivery market. By the end of last year, about 1 million riders delivered more than 27 million orders every day for Ele.me, Baidu Waimai and Meituan Waimai, the country's three biggest online food delivery platforms, and nearly all the riders use electric bicycles or tricycles.

Currently, there are more than 1,000 merchants selling electric cycles in Beijing, and about 4 million such vehicles are running on the streets of Beijing.

Last year, the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce found 174 electric models that failed to meet requirements, and it has placed the sellers on file for investigation and their details have been published on the enterprise credit information website in Beijing.

According to national policy, electric cycles need to get 3C authentication, meaning they must be audited by the certification bodies and can only be sold after meeting the requirements.

YTO Express, a leading courier with 68,000 branches nationwide, has more than 3,000 electric tricycles for express delivery services in Beijing.

"In recent years, electric tricycles have become the preferred means of transportation for the fast delivery sector, given their flexibility, low-carbon discharge, and high cost performance. But for the fast delivery sector and enterprises, we need to keep the bottom line and ensure the safety of delivery workers at all development stages," YTO Express said in an email.

The company said it has established a security supervision department at its headquarters in Shanghai, and it has security supervisors in other cities. The company has also launched regular and nonscheduled safety training and safety inspections.

"We educate delivery workers about road traffic regulations and fire safety, and we also check the condition of our electric tricycles to find out if there are problems such as aging circuits, worn tires and loose screws," the company said.