[sustran] Re: Guangzhou bans electric bicycles

[Sujit Patwardhan]

28 November 2006



As an Indian I can see why China has taken the decision to ban electric
bikes. For Asian countries, particularly those with booming economies, cars
have become an extension of a person's identity and a visual symbol of his
upward mobile position in society. For years we have been living in
conditions of the controlled economy. A Bajaj (Italian Vespa design) scooter
had a waiting period of 7 to 8 years.



Now after liberalization of the economy and "steroids" in form of new
opportunities created by globalization, incomes of middle class Indian (and
I guess Chinese too) have shot up to levels unimaginable only a few decades
back. Although this is a very minute percentage of the total population,
sheer numbers makes this an economic force that has a strong impact on
society and its values. Through centuries gone by, Indians were sustained by
a strong spiritual foundation. Righteous living had a higher value than
possession of wealth. This is fast changing especially in the urban areas
where not just money but also the consumerist culture fuelled by the
communications and entertainment industry is creating a situation where
one's possessions become objects to be displayed and indeed determine a
person's worth.



I'm sure this is not unique to Asia. Europe went through a similar change
after the Industrial Revolution, but that change was far slower, taking over
a century to reach levels of consumption and resource depletion that began
to threaten the environment. In the emerging Asian countries this change
telescoped into a much shorter time-span, is making the impact far more
devastating to society as well as to the environment. The result is more
frightening now because we have woken up (even if late in the day) to the
serious issues of environment and sustainability.



This is why NGOs like ours, working in environment, sustainability,
governance and democracy feel the need for urgent action driven by awareness
– of the masses as well as of the decision makers. We are trying to
highlight that that this unsustainable path cannot work in the long run.
Global Warming, Greenhouse gasses, depletion of resources, peaking of fossil
fuel production, poisoning our air, water and food, destruction of nature
and urban heritage are all signs that we are living dangerously and
unsustainably. We must take note of this and not behave irresponsibly as the
richer Western Nations did (and largely continue to do). We can either learn
from their mistakes or fall in the same trap and waste more money and time
to come out of it and repair the damage.



And in spite of all odds we are optimistic, as some lessons are reaching
home and we are even if slowly, beginning to see that auto-centric
development is not the answer. It has not worked anywhere in the world, and
it will certainly not work in Asia with its heavy burden of large
populations, widespread poverty and limited financial resources. In the
context of Transport policies and planning, Public Transport, Non-motorized
modes of transport, protection of open spaces, public spaces, green lung
areas, urban forests, natural assets and livable cities should be the goals
for our cities. And these goals are incompatible with a city "driven" by the
personal auto vehicle.

















On 11/22/06, Lloyd Wright <lfwright at usa.net> wrote:
>
> http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/39099/story.htm
>
> China's Easy Riders Deride Electric Bike Ban
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> CHINA: November 22, 2006
>
> BEIJING - A ban on battery-powered bicycles in the southern China city of
> Guangzhou has left tens of thousands of owners grounded without
> compensation
> and angered vendors who face lost business, local media reported on
> Tuesday.
>
> The ban, effective a day after police announced it last week but allowing
> a
> "15-day education period", was aimed at preventing electric-powered bikes
> from
> becoming "the main mode of transport", Xinhua reported. "If such bikes are
> permitted, this will certainly rapidly increase the burden on roads,"
> Xinhua
> quoted police as saying.
>
> Guangzhou, a booming Pearl River Delta city of about 10 million often
> choked
> with traffic jams, was China's fifth-fastest growing car market in the
> first
> half of 2006, state media has reported.
>
> The city has about 870,000 cars, Xinhua reported last week, growing at
> about
> 150,000 every year. Police also cited safety concerns and the inability to
> effectively enforce traffic regulations on electric-bike riders.
>
> "These riders have never received any special riding training or tests, so
> their driving skills are very difficult to guarantee."
>
> Police added that compensation would not be given to bike owners as they
> had
> been urged "through the media" not to buy bikes and in any case, the
> Guangzhou
> government had "never permitted" them.
>
> At least 100,000 residents ride electric bikes every day in Guangzhou,
> which
> at 1,000-3,000 yuan (US$125-US$380) are a cheap and increasingly popular
> form
> of transport in Chinese cities.
>
> But several local governments have banned the bikes which require no
> licence
> and are exempt from registration fees.
>
> Beijing has confined electric bikes to its outer suburbs, although riders
> regularly flout the regulation.
>
> Over 100 electric bike manufacturers, vendors and riders held a rally in a
> Guangzhou hotel to protest the ban, the Yangcheng Evening News, a
> Guangzhou
> daily, reported.
>
> "Allow the orderly and healthy development of electric bicycles and don't
> simply kill them off!" the paper quoted protesters as saying.
>
> The group issued a joint communique, saying the authorities "had not fully
> consulted the will of the people".
>
> Construction Ministry Vice Minister Qiu Baoxing earlier this year slammed
> city
> planners for pandering to private car owners and ignoring the needs of
> ordinary pedal cyclists, saying China should remain the "kingdom of
> bicycles".
>
>
> Qiu lamented that some Chinese cities were cutting back on bicycle lanes
> in
> order to make more room for cars, even as some Western cities were
> building
> more lanes for cyclists.
>
> REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
>
>
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-- 
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Sujit Patwardhan
sujit at vsnl.com
sujitjp at gmail.com

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