New mode of transport: able-bodied young people in China swap e-bikes for electric wheelchairs to dodge tightened road rules
- Able-bodied young people have found a new way to commute in bustling southern city of Guangzhou
- Move to wheelchairs backed by some online but others deride the transport switch as ‘sick’ and ‘unrealistic’
Youngsters in Guangzhou appear to have found a unique way to protest against tighter regulations on e-bikes – by turning to electric wheelchairs instead.
Quirky videos of young people in the southern Chinese city using the power chairs for their commute have gone viral in recent days.
But the clips have also divided opinion on social media, with many people turned off by the idea of co-opting what is essentially a mode of transport for the disabled.
“Abled young people commuting in electric wheelchairs designed for patients or disabled people is supposed to be funny, but I feel more angry and sad – is it people or society that is sick?” commented one person.
Guangzhou is set to execute several new regulations to crack down on the proliferation of e-bikes.
The vehicles had been illegal in the city until 2021, when e-bike number plate registration was first allowed, according to Chinese online outlet Dingduan News.
Since then, the number of e-bikes has exploded to an estimated five million in the city of 18.7 million meaning that one in nearly four people rides one.
They are also a major means of transport for the city’s tens of thousands of delivery riders.
However, the number of road violations related to e-bikes have also been on the rise, with Guangzhou traffic police reporting over one million cases in 2021 and 1.6 million last year.
The proposed regulations, some of which are still under public consultation, include banning e-bikes in certain areas during rush hour or even all day, and a ban on any refits, including adding rear-view mirrors.
A resident, surnamed Yang, told Dingduan News that outdated urban design in many areas meant there was less road space for bike riders.
The handful of video clips going viral included those of abled people commuting in electric wheelchairs, and another showing a Guangzhou delivery rider carrying an e-bike on his shoulder.
Official news outlet The Paper claimed that the clips were “gimmicks”, uploaded by online influencers and wheelchair sellers to piggyback on the city’s most trending topic.
A medical apparatus shop owner in Guangzhou said a powerchair commute was “unrealistic”.
“They are slower than normal bikes, and cannot be taken on subway trains or buses easily,” the shop owner, surnamed Liao, told a local TV station.
The best-selling electric wheelchair online can only reach speeds of up to 6km/h.
But then, they are not subject to traffic regulations for either motorised or non-motorised vehicles.
While some social media users were appalled at the idea, others posted in support.
“If the city’s accessibility can be improved when more people choose to travel by electric wheelchair, then it will also benefit those who actually need them,” said one commenter.
Another slammed the upcoming tighter e-bike regulations for having triggered the farce: “I don’t support the regulations. People need e-bikes to make a living.”
Lu Chih-ying, associate professor at the Fujian University of Technology’s School of Traffic and Transportation, said restricting e-bike usage would not improve urban traffic.
The best way forward is to redesign the roads and assign special tracks for non-motorised vehicles, Lu told Dingduan News.
