New draft law cracks down on e-bike violations
A deliveryman rides his e-bike through the intersection of Xujiahui Road and Dapu Road on Friday morning.
E-bike riders and passengers could face fines for not wearing helmets, according to the city's draft law on safety management of non-motor vehicles.
The draft law, after going through the first reading in the city's legislature in the latest session of the organ's standing committee, is soliciting opinions from the public beginning on Friday.
The draft law bans bikers and e-bikers from holding mobile phones against their ears or browsing electronic devices while riding.
Also, bikers and e-bikers are prohibited from pulling animals or taking along installations that carry people or objects.
E-bikers are required to use lights at night or when their sight is impeded by bad weather such as fog, rain, snow, sand storms or strong wind. They are also prohibited from honking more than once.
Violators of the rules will receive a warning from the police or be fined 20 (US$3) to 50 yuan.
Moreover, non-motor vehicle users are prohibited from modifying their vehicles or adding seats, umbrellas, hoods or loud stereo systems.
For the first time, the draft law calls for bad credit ratings to be loaded on non-motor vehicle users with too many violations. Those affected by the new rules include e-bike riders with more than 10 violations of "serious offenses" such as ignoring traffic lights and using lanes meant for traffic from the opposite direction; riders who illegally use elevated roads, expressways, bridges or tunnels across Huangpu River more than three times; and people with more than five unsettled violations within a year.
To reduce traffic accidents caused by large trucks running into bike and e-bike riders, the draft law requires right-turn marker lines, warning lines and fences at intersections where trucks often pass or cause accidents.
Parking rules
According to the draft law, riders are banned from charging their e-bikes privately or parking/charging e-bikes in public places next to buildings, evacuation passages, safety exits, fire engine passages or indoor spaces with a high density of people. Violators could face fines of up to 50,000 yuan.
Newly built, renovated or expanded residential complexes are required to include e-bike parking places with charging devices in their planning and construction, while district governments will push for existing residential complexes to build or expand e-bike parking grounds.
The full text of the draft law has been published on the Internet, and opinions are being solicited from the public until December 25.
People can submit e-mails to fgwlfec@126.com to express their opinions and ideas.
The new regulations will replace the current non-motor vehicle regulations enacted in 2014.
