China sets out rules to govern booming bike-sharing industry

China’s central government has issued national guidelines to govern the booming bike-sharing industry.

The regulations include barring children under 12 from hiring bicycles and ordering local governments to set up designated areas to park cycles to avoid them littering pavements.

The guidelines were published on Thursday by the Ministry of Transport, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

Draft proposals were drawn up in May and 780 comments were received, the article said.

Local governments are also ordered under the regulations to “ensure the rational allocation of bicycles” to avoid excessive supply. Customers registering with bike sharing firms also have to use their real name.

The Xinhua report cited a survey as saying that half a million bikes for rent were enough for Shanghai’s needs, but there were more than a million on the streets, operated by 11 firms.