The official websites of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport and the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transportation Management have launched a public bicycle convenience service feature, allowing citizens to go online to query information such as bicycle station locations, card application and cancellation procedures, bike rental and return processes, and rental fees. According to reports, up to now, seven districts have established 520 service stations, with 14,000 public bicycles put into operation.
Last year, Dongcheng and Chaoyang districts were the first to launch public bicycle rental services. Among the recently added pilot districts, Fengtai District has built 28 stations with 200 public bicycles in operation; Shijingshan has built 31 stations with 500 public bicycles in operation; Daxing District has built 140 stations with 3,000 public bicycles in operation; and Tongzhou District has set up 21 rental points with 1,000 bikes in operation.
Yesterday, reporters experienced the public bicycle convenience service feature online. In addition to information on bicycle stations, card application and cancellation procedures, rental and return processes, rental fees, and user agreements, the website also published the contact numbers for bicycle operation services. Citizens encountering issues while using the bicycles can call the service hotline of the district where the rental or return station is located for consultation. Currently, the information released on the website mainly covers four pilot districts: Dongcheng, Chaoyang, Daxing, and Yizhuang, with plans to gradually expand coverage.
■ Public Concerns
Is the rental card valid citywide?
For the current four districts (Dongcheng, Chaoyang, Fengtai, and Shijingshan), public bicycle stations have been invested in and constructed. A single rental card can be used citywide, and bikes can be picked up and returned anywhere — meaning a card originally issued in Chaoyang can now be used to rent and return bikes in Shijingshan. However, in Tongzhou and Daxing districts, public bicycles can only be picked up and returned within their respective districts, and rental cards are only valid within those areas.
Are rental fees unified?
Rental fees and card application integrity deposit standards are consistent across the urban districts. The rental system adopts a “free + low-cost” time-based pricing model: the first hour of biking is free, then each subsequent hour costs 1 yuan, with a daily cumulative maximum of 10 yuan and a maximum continuous rental period of three days. Long-term Beijing residents pay an integrity deposit of 200 yuan for card application, while temporary visitors pay 400 yuan.
Rental fees in the outer suburbs also generally follow a “free + low-cost” time-based pricing model, but specific rental fees and integrity deposit standards vary by district. For example, in Daxing District, the demand for card applications has exceeded the current system’s normal operational capacity, so the integrity deposit standard has been set at 400 yuan.
Can a “single citywide card” be achieved?
Due to regional differences, variations in construction standards, station setups, and biking distances make it reasonable for the outer suburbs and urban districts to have different integrity deposit and rental fee standards.
Regarding rental media, the outer suburbs currently use a different system from the urban districts. In the future, public bicycles in the outer suburbs will gradually support unified Yikatong (Beijing Transportation Smart Card) rental and return, achieving a “one-card” system across both suburban and urban districts.