On April 10, Mayor Chen Jianhua of Guangzhou led the municipal government delegation to the city of Hangzhou to study its advanced experience in non-motorized traffic facilities and its urban public bicycle sharing program which won the second Guangzhou Award. Secretary of Hangzhou CPC Committee Mr. Gong Zheng and Mayor of Hangzhou Mr. Zhang Hongming received Mayor Chen Jianhua and attended the relevant activities.

Mayor Chen said that Hangzhou has successful experiences in its economic and social development, particularly in urban planning and construction, which is worth learning. The related departments of Guangzhou should make an overall and practical plan, from top-level design to implemental mechanism, and enhance the public bicycle system of Guangzhou based on reality, so as to establish an advanced, modern and green non-motorized traffic system.

To follow up, the Public Consultation and Supervision Committee of Guangzhou’s major urban construction projects held a seminar on this issue. Mayor Chen revealed that Guangzhou would further promote the urban public bicycle sharing program. So what is the future for a non-motorized traffic system? Mayor Chen described such a vision: in the future, if you rent a bike with a card downstairs and ride to the subway station, and rent another bike with a card after getting out of the subway, then you can arrive at your work place in twenty minutes, even though the distance of riding at both sides is two kilometers respectively. 

The non-motorized traffic system works in a way of “walking + public transport” and “riding bicycle + public transport”. Mayor Chen Jianhua and Director General Chen Xiaogang of the Municipal Transportation Committee both expressed their ideas of giving more priorities of road usage to this traffic system and establishing more public bicycle stations. Bicycle rental stations should be first built at bus and subway stations. Jinshazhou in Baiyun district may serve as the pilot area. In the coming years, Guangzhou citizens may be able to rent bicycles downstairs for going out.