Beijing’s first real-time public bicycle app was officially launched on Thursday. The timing of the app’s release comes just before the start of September, the most traffic-riddled month in Beijing.
The app is part of the Beijing Transport app. Through the new feature, it is possible to access real-time location data, rental stations and even the number of bikes and docks currently available around the city.
"We are promoting the public bicycle system to raise awareness that riding bikes is a way to live a healthy, green and low-carbon life," said Jiao Tongmin, a director at the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport.
September is an especially busy month in the capital. Many students head back to the city to go back to school and the holidays draw high numbers of visitors. This flow of people into the capital has a significant impact on traffic.
In an effort to help curb congestion on the road, 8,000 public bikes have been added to Beijing’s system. There are now a total of 68,000 public bikes located at 2,000 stations around the capital. There are currently over 700,000 people registered to use Beijing’s public bicycles.
The app also features real-time bus information (including locations and arrival times), traffic information and license-plate lottery results. There are future plans to have the app give real-time information about how crowded subway stops are and the locations of open charging stations for electric cars.
[Image via China Daily]
0 User Comments