Beijing Lifts Ban on Electric Bikes

The Star Malaysia reports that Beijing has removed a ban on electric bicycles to ease city traffic.

A circular of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau said starting January 4 electric bikes that have met national standards and entered an approved list are officially allowed to take to the road after being registered with the city’s traffic administration.

The city stopped registering electric bikes from August 2002 after the number reached tens of thousands, saying the used batteries of such bikes are hard to dispose of and may pollute the environment.

Electric bike producers say that a sound system for retrieving and disposing of used batteries is available.

Beijing citizens generally favor lifting the ban, saying that such bikes are a convenient means of transportation.