How many bicycles in Beijing ??

[cyclenut]

Beijing - China has halved the number of bicycles stolen to about 2 million in the past nine months, police said on Thursday, following a campaign to clamp down on theft months before its capital hosts the Olympics.

The country, home to a world record 460 million bicycles, has also cracked thousands of bike theft gangs, police officials told a news conference webcast at china.com.cn.

"We strongly smashed illegal bicycle theft activities and constrained the growth of new cases," said Ma Weiya, vice-director of the police social security management department.

"Our work in these aspects will not let up. We need to see this work through to completion and ensure the problem of bicycle theft is gradually and thoroughly resolved," he said.

Must register bikes

The government has introduced a system of identification numbers and buyers must register their bikes using their real names as part of efforts to curb widespread theft.

Stolen bicycles are so common in some places that people "shrug off the losses" rather than reporting them to police, Ma said, adding that the campaign hoped to change that situation.

China used to be known as a nation of bikes, until market reforms and a rapidly expanding middle class began to make cars king in its urban centres.

But the government is trying to encourage its citizens to use bicycles instead of cars, especially in cities like Beijing, where air pollution is a major concern that threatens to mar its hosting of the Olympic Games in August.

 

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_2258007,00.html

cyclenut2008-01-24 22:53:14

[Reg Lizard]

A while ago I also suggested that someone creates a website in SA on which bikes can be registered and stolen bikes reported, but have not seen anyone doing this yet.

[Red Zone]

A while ago I also suggested that someone creates a website in SA on which bikes can be registered and stolen bikes reported' date=' but have not seen anyone doing this yet.

[/quote']

 

I have also had the same thought, it is a great idea, but how many of us even take down the serial number of our frames - I havn't dispite promising myself to do it a million times.

[Zoo Cookie]

what's that song that chick sings: 9 000 000 bicycles in Beijing?? or something like that.

 

[Mrs Colonel]

Zoo Cookie - that was Katie Tunstall

[ORCA]

close, but it was Katie Melua - Nine Million Bicycles 

 

 

[slowpoke]

nope MrsC - it's Katie Melua

 

i love that entire album

 

[Zoo Cookie]

Katie Melua

Katie Holmes

 

KT Tundstall

 

allloooot of Katies doing the rounds.

but thank you now me know 2.

[Mrs Colonel]

Sorry!  At least in a round about way we now know who sings the song!

[Zoo Cookie]

can i somehow,  blame eskom for me not being so sharp this morning??