About three decades ago,China was known as the"Bicycle Kingdom".But later on bikes were replaced by their fuel-powered competitors.
But recent months have seen a revival of the humble bike across China,with an increasing number of people choosing cycling instead of driving to schools,to workplaces or to do sightseeing.The introduction of bike-sharing schemes,pioneered by start-ups like Ofo and Mobike,has brought the trend to a new level.
People can unlock the shared bikes by simply using their smartphone.The bikes are equipped with GPS and can be left anywhere in public for the next user.They're popular among many Chinese people as they provide an effective solution to the"last mile"problem,which refers to the final leg of a person's journey.
"In places where the subway doesn't extend,where it's difficult to change from one kind of transport to another,it's so easy to get where you want to go with Mobike,"Hu Hong,29,told AFP.She pedals to her Shanghai real-estate job.
However,the schemes have also led to problems such as illegal parking,vandalism and theft.Last month,two nurses in Beijing were placed under administrative punishment for five days for putting locks on two shared bikes.And in December,a man who stole a shared bike was sentenced to a 3-month detention with a 3-month probation,and fined 1,000yuan by the Shanghai Minhang People's Court.
"Bike-sharing is a greener method of transportation and provides a user-friendly experience,"said Liu Xiaoming,vice-minister of transport."But it's a combination of online and offline business.Operators are usually strong in online services,but lack offline business experience,which causes problems."To deal with these problems,the company came up with the idea of encouraging people to return the bikes to stations by rewarding free time for their next rides.
32.Who has brought the revival of bike to a new level?___