Shared electric scooters in Hangzhou draw controversy

As the ride sharing economy gains momentum in China, a startup began offering electric scooter share in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province.

Some netizens wonder when a user rides an electric scooter along a motorway and causes an accident, who should take responsibility?

Of course, the one who rode the electric scooter should be held responsible for breaching traffic laws, and specific situations should be decided by the transportation enforcement department, said Kang Kai, a layer at Beijing Yingke Law Office.

A manager from local firm InnoMake said the scooters are currently only available for use in parks, communities, schools and other enclosed areas, Beijing Youth Daily reported.

The company uses technology to prevent the scooters from entering roadways out of safety concerns. It also requires users to be aware of the restriction.

Chinese traffic laws prohibit electric scooters on roads or on sidewalks.

In its first trial, InnoMake offered dozens of scooters for rent in a city park. Similar to a shared bike, users can install an app to unlock a scooter. The price for a journey is 0.5 yuan ($0.07) for half an hour.

The company said operating costs for shared scooters are much higher than for already popular shared bikes due to the battery that staff are responsible for charging, which may limit market expansion.