A PUBLIC bicycle leasing system is expected to come into operation by October with 193 service points at every 400m, the municipal Urban Construction Group co ltd was cited as saying by the Southern Metropolis Daily on Wednesday.
To be financed by the city government and constructed, operated and managed by the group, construction will occur in three phases, pending approval by the Development & Reform Bureau.
The 50 million yuan ($7.85 million) first phase will cover mainly Gongbei, Jida and Old Xiangzhou with around 5,000 bicycles at the 193 leasing points around bus stops. The second and third phases will expand to cover the entire Xiangzhou District including the Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone in Jinding of Tangjiawan Town, Hengqin New Area, Wanzai and Nanping areas at a cost of 150 million yuan ($23.54 million). Some 20,000 bicycles will be distributed at from 800 to 10,000 services points throughout the East Wing of the city.
Residents will be able to use a Citizen Card or their own Union Pay bank IC cards to go through leasing and return procedures. The use of a bike in the first 90 minutes each day will be free of charge and 1 yuan will be charged for each additional hour, according to the newspaper.
A cell phone software compatible with the ISO system in iPhones and android systems in other mobile phones will be developed. Users can find the nearest bicycle service point on their own mobile phones upon downloading the digital mobile terminal.
Each bicycle is installed with a chip, which the dispatching centre can monitor when it is leased and returned. It can also find the bicycle user by tracking the bank IC card.
Residents can open their bicycle leasing service at certain banks or do it online. Their deposit will be deducted automatically upon opening of the service. When the users cancel the service, the deposit will be returned to their bank card automatically.
Using references from Hangzhou and other cities, the public bicycle system in Zhuhai is reportedly to be highly characterised.
-Zhuhai Daily
