Major bike-sharing apps are now offering free rental in Beijing

Photo: Meituan Bike/Weibo

If there's anything we can say for certain that's gone back to normal, the obvious answer is, well, the traffic. It’s easy to spot a higher volume of passengers on the Beijing metro since more people have resumed work, and the city's main ring roads are once again filled with cars, motorbikes, the familiar chaos of bumper-to-bumper, gridlocked traffic (RIP, the-once-near-empty train cars and not-so-traffic-choked streets). 

Photo: DiDi Bike/Weibo

Though the traffic congestion is back in business, it's not all grim news (at least for your wallet). From now on till' May 31, Beijing's transportation commission has announced that three major bike-sharing fleets – Meituan, DiDi and Hellobike – will be dishing out free bike rentals for commuters during morning and evening rush hours, reported Beijing Youth Daily.

This incentive apparently only applies to users in Beijing, and is valid for half an hour – anytime between 7am to 9am, or 5pm to 7pm that is. In other words, users of the aforementioned bike-sharing apps will find their fees either waived, or reduced if they rent bikes during those times, according to Beijing Youth Daily.

Photo: Hello Bike/Weibo

Rolled out to encourage more eco-friendly modes of commute, it came as Beijing saw a general rebound of traffic congestion as lockdown rules had been eased. 

Photo: Wikicommons

As the capital gradually edges back to normal, it seems the roads are only getting more clogged. Recent traffic data in Beijing has suggested that peak-hour congestion was already heavier than the same time last year, Bloomberg reported. So, to go from point A to B quicker, it looks like you’d be better off ditching the four wheels, taking a bike and weaving through the traffic.

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