E-bike danger is removed from communities

Ti Gong

Over 170 people have been punished, with over 20 detained, for illegal e-bike charging since May after stricter e-bike rules took effect in Shanghai, police said.

In one case last month, a man living in a residential complex in the Pudong New Area was detained for seven days after causing a fire when charging his illegal high-power e-bike battery.

Meanwhile, local residents are being increasingly persuaded to park and charge their e-bikes outside residential buildings, as the bike parking infrastructure in residential complexes has been significantly improved.

In Laoshan Yicun, a residential complex in the Lujiazui area in Pudong which was built in the 1950s, its old bike parking lot was upgraded with smart charging facilities last year and now allows 450 e-bikes to charge there in day, while residents have about 500 e-bikes.

The persuasion work, it turned out, extended well after the new infrastructure was built.

In February this year, community volunteers and property management workers still recorded over 20 cases of illegal parking and charging in this residential complex, said Wang Yun, director of the residents' committee. In illegal charging cases, the e-bikers usually charged their bikes outside the building with a long wire from their apartments.

"At that time, over 40 people were found to be the hardest cases to deal with, but after the new law came into effect in May, the number was reduced to under 10," Wang said. "Most of those who still ignore the law are residents on the first floor who park and charge their bikes in the hallway for convenience."

Around the city, over 1,600 new e-bike parking and charging spots have been built so far this year, with over 750 existing spots equipped with firefighting devices, police said.

In over 4,600 elevators in residential complexes, smart surveillance cameras have been installed to spot e-bikes. When an e-bike is detected, the elevators won't close until they are removed.

E-bike battery charging cabinets have proved especially popular with people who ride long distances on work, such as food and parcel deliverymen, who charge their spare batteries in the cabinets while they're at work.

Over 530 such cabinets have been found in various residential complexes, police said.

The city's new law on non-motorized vehicles prohibits e-bike users from unsafely charging their vehicles anywhere.

E-bikes can't be parked or charged in any public space within a building, including hallways or stairwells and emergency exits, and on fire-engine lanes outside.

Parking and property management firms and neighborhood committees are required to monitor violations and report them to the authorities.