Over 10,000 seized shared bikes add some color to vacant lot

Thousands upon thousands of shared biked are helping to brighten up one vacant lot in the southern part of Hangzhou after being seized by city authorities.

The bikes, belonging to a number of booming bike-sharing businesses in China, had likely been left parked improperly around town by their users, annoying residents and causing the chengguan to stop by to pick them up. At the beginning of June this year, Hangzhou public security force said that it had already seized upwards of 20,000 shared bikes in the city center.

After the bikes are seized and parked in the vacant lot, the bike-sharing companies are contacted. However, it appears that most were unwilling to go through the hassle of getting the bikes back, allowing them instead to rust away in the mass bike graveyard.

Over the past year, dozens of Chinese startups have deployed tens of millions of shared bikes across the country. While these bicycles may be convenient for users, they are a huge headache for city administrators who are just now beginning to author legislation to regulate the industry.

Back in March, Shanghai's own colorful bike graveyard went viral on Chinese social media, prompting a bit of a crackdown.

[Images via NetEase]

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