Guangzhou Traffic Police: Next year, special license plates for electric bicycles used in food delivery will be introduced, limited to employee use only.
On December 17, the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department launched a hotline section to respond to pressing issues regarding electric bicycle management.
According to Liu Feng, the deputy director of the Traffic Management Bureau of the provincial public security department, as of November, a total of 25.86 million electric bicycles have been registered in the province. This year, over 9,400 traffic accidents involving electric bicycles have occurred, resulting in 1,195 fatalities. While the number of accidents has increased by 2.7%, the death toll has decreased by 11.2%.
With a large number of electric bicycles and their wide-ranging implications, Liu emphasized that the provincial traffic management department advocates for classified management of electric bicycles, differentiating between “private” and “enterprise” bikes. Currently, they are formulating plans in conjunction with the “Regulations on Electric Bicycle Management in Guangzhou,” using Guangzhou as a pilot city to promote this classified management approach throughout the province.
Ding Wen, the head of the Traffic Police Team of the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau, announced that in the first half of next year, Guangzhou will introduce special license plates for industries such as food delivery, accompanied by supportive management regulations. These license plates will be available through applications from the relevant businesses and will only be used by their employees.
There are significant issues regarding the mixed use of roads by electric bicycles and motor vehicles. Ding reported that Guangzhou has built 2,966 kilometers of non-motorized vehicle lanes and installed non-motorized vehicle traffic signals at 259 intersections. However, challenges remain, such as missing lanes, narrow widths, and discontinuity. Addressing these gaps has been prioritized as a key task for the Guangzhou traffic police next year for improvement and resolution.
Despite the establishment of non-motorized vehicle lanes on some road sections, some electric bicycle riders continue to use motor vehicle lanes. Ding noted that Guangzhou has initiated non-site capture enforcement, combining on-site and off-site penalties to strengthen law enforcement efforts.
Some riders attempt to obscure their license plates to evade detection. In response, Ding indicated that technological solutions will be employed, including equipment to capture images of the electronic devices within the license plates. Currently, over 200 capture devices are already in operation across the city.
Regarding the issue of motor vehicles illegally parked in non-motorized vehicle lanes, Ding stated that it is a focus for the traffic police department. They plan to reduce illegal parking incidents by increasing the number of electronic monitoring systems and enhancing police patrols.
Concerning the regulation mentioned in the “Regulations on Electric Bicycle Management in Guangzhou,” which states that the maximum speed for electric bicycles in non-motorized vehicle lanes must not exceed 15 kilometers per hour, Ding clarified that this is not an innovation of Guangzhou, but is based on the “Road Traffic Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China.”
Many food delivery workers have expressed concerns that speed limits may lead to delays in deliveries. Ding responded that the Guangzhou traffic police will collaborate with market regulatory departments to hold discussions with delivery platforms, urging them to optimize algorithms, relax delivery time constraints, and fulfill both legal and social responsibilities. Currently, there are ten major delivery platforms in Guangzhou, all of which have established daily communication and coordination mechanisms.
(The original title was “Guangzhou Traffic Police: Special License Plates for Electric Bicycle Deliveries to Be Introduced Next Year.”)
