This is as told by the "Circular on Strengthening Management of Electric Bicycles" of the Municipal Public Security Bureau promulgated today in Beijing. Acting on the "Circular", all users of the vehicle August 5-31 will have to apply for makeshift certificates with a fixed valid time from 21 district- or county-level registration stations for use of non-auto vehicles across Beijing.

Following the "Circular," the makeshift certificates as has been set will allow electric bicycle users over an effective riding time up to December 31, 2005 and from January 1, 2006 on all electric bicycles have to be kept out from Beijing's roads.

But why electric bicycles must be kept off all roads of metropolis Beijing?

One is electric bicycle as a far less ideal vehicle than automobiles.

Beijing is a metropolis with a population over ten million. Taking into account a high concentration of its population and a serious shortage of roads on its own, it must have a massive integrated type of traffic network of subways, light railways and ground automobiles with a large transportation capacity to be projected.

Electric bicycles, though convenient in use and saving time and labor, are still a vehicle of the low-efficient type, much less on a par with automobiles. Should Beijing set no restriction on use but a speedy development of personal vehicles as electric bicycle the situation in Beijing as suffering from a grave shortage of road resources would be all the more serious.

Two is electric bicycle as a vehicle hindering normal urban traffic flows.

Electric bicycle is preferable for a faster speed and greater mobility and flexibility than conventional bikes. But out of accord amidst traffic flows in today's Beijing, electric bicycle with a high speed can not avoid itself becoming a disturbing factor to other vehicles as autos and bikes for a high speed kept on Beijing's roads. Meanwhile, by threading their ways among motley traffic vehicles electric bicycle drivers by themselves are in no way insured.

Three is electric bicycle out of accord with high environment-friendly standards.

Beijing as capital has by itself set high standards for environmental protection. Things have made this all the more so as it is going to host the 2008 Olympic Games and as is demanded for "Green Olympics" that will have to be carried out to the letter. No litters of waste batteries from electric bicycles shouldn't be regarded something bringing no harm but as a matter of worldwide concern that has been aroused.

Market investigation tells that 70 percent of batteries used on electric bicycles are of the lead-acid type, 30 percent of cadmium-nickel type. For a short service life lots of waste batteries are inevitably being produced every year. For environment production and the upkeep of Beijing's water resources there should leave no place for electric bicycles in Beijing.

( August 2, 2002)