Beijing seeks safer charging of electric bicycles

Beijing plans to set up zones where charging electric bicycles is prohibited, a move designed to prevent potentially fatal fires caused by disorderly charging in walkways, staircases or the safety exits of residential buildings.

The owners of electric bicycles who charge their bikes in certain areas could be fined up to 500 yuan ($80), under a draft submitted to the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress on Thursday.

The draft also said bicycle owners could be held criminally responsible in some cases.

A fire in an electric bicycle shop in Beijing's Shuimoxi community that killed four people on Sunday has prompted local departments to expedite the measure.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to the Beijing Municipal Fire Bureau.

Experts said the charging of electric bicycles in public has always been a problem, but strengthening enforcement has become more important.

"Many people think it is easy to charge their bicycles in buildings, but they might ignore the potential safety risks," said Liu Daizong, China transport program director of the World Resources Institute.

He said the establishment of an annual safety check for electric bicycles is necessary. A demerit system could also be used to punish bicycle owners who frequently break the rules.

"A number of departments are involved in overseeing the charging of electric bicycles, but residential property management companies and communities should take more responsibility for supervision," Liu said.

In December, the Ministry of Public Security ruled that electric bicycles must not be parked in evacuation walkways, staircases or safety exits in tall buildings or be charged in those places.

Residential property management company should conduct regular checks of fire risks, monitor fire-control facilities and enhance publicity to raise awareness of fire prevention, it said.

Beijing has more than 3 million electric bicycles, and the number is growing by 15 percent per year, according to the Beijing Bicycle Industry Association.

Districts in Beijing have started to build standard electric bicycle charging points. The city's Shijingshan district announced on Thursday that it would provide 10 million yuan to build more than 3,000 electric bicycle charging stations at 308 locations to satisfy resident's safety needs.

Zhang Haiyun, chief of Beijing's Huangzhuang community, said the community planned to build six to eight charging stations in the next two months.

"We also told the residents of our community about the importance of preventing fires and increased their awareness of electric bicycle charging," Zhang said.