Shenzhen may ban electric bikes, but for many they're essential

In many parts of the world, electric vehicles are seen as part of the solution to air pollution and traffic problems, but in Shenzhen, officials are planning to ban battery-powered bicycles on the city's roads by the end of next year.

The reason for the ban, officials say, would be to solve a range of social problems associated with the bicycles, such as traffic jams and accidents, and even drive-by robberies.

Shenzhen is following the lead of a long list of mainland cities - including Beijing, Fuzhou in Fujian, and Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhuhai and Foshan in Guangdong - that have banned electric bicycles or confined them to suburban areas in recent years.

The ban on battery-powered bicycles has its roots in previous bans on motorcycles, which critics say were aimed at making way for cars.

Starting with Beijing in the mid-1980s, at least 168 mainland cities, including Tianjin and the capitals of 25 provinces and autonomous regions, had officially banned or restricted the use of motorcycles by the end of 2006, according to figures cited early this year by a leading motorbike manufacturer.

Shenzhen banned motorcycles in 2003 in an attempt to improve road safety and stop people from using them in crimes. Many riders, however, simply switched to battery-powered bicycles.