But the little runarounds could be a help in unclogging highways if properly regulated and licensed

News that China's top two cities have geared up to drive stand-up electric scooters from public roads should not come as a surprise.

As China Daily reported on Aug 31, Beijing's traffic authorities have decided that the nippy little runarounds will no longer be welcome on roads. From Sept 5, riders who ignore the ban will be fined 10 yuan ($1.50; 1.30 euros).

The new rules apply to both regular stand-up scooters with handlebars and to one- and two-wheeled self-balancing scooters, known as Segways or hover boards. They do not apply to larger electric vehicles that resemble motorbikes or mopeds.

Traffic police in Shanghai have also launched a campaign to push the scooters off its highways and byways.

Both cities say the prohibitions are needed because of safety concerns, and decision-makers in Guangzhou, another major city, are understood to be considering a similar ban.

The cities cite the fact that thousands of people are buying and riding the scooters without having any training and without needing to pass a test or gain a license. They also bemoan the fact many scooters on the market have inadequate brakes and lights, partly because there are no national safety standards pertaining to the tiny vehicles, which fall somewhere between motorized and nonmotorized vehicles in the rulebook.

Having spent a few years living and working in Beijing, I can sympathize with the traffic authorities as they strive to reduce the risks on China's busy streets.

But with commutes becoming longer thanks to regular gridlocks and with subway carriages and stations battling to keep up with demand, it's understandable that many commuters are seeking new ways to get to work.

In Beijing, as in major cities around the world, you don't have to stand next to a busy road for long to realize that most of the gas-guzzling cars in any given jam contain but one occupant. Finding ways to get more drivers out from behind the wheel and moving through the city in smaller, less-polluting machines should be a priority.

Beijing has a fantastic public transportation system and copes with far more passengers every day than most world-class cities can imagine. But that infrastructure needs all the help it can get.

Maybe, these electric scooters offer a way forward, even if they are not acceptable in the current, unregulated environment.

I'd love to see the traffic authorities drafting national standards around such things as maximum speed, brake efficiency, lights and the pollution footprint of these electric scooters. And then they can follow that up with mandatory lessons for people wanting to ride scooters on the highway, and some form of licensing.

If the traffic authorities find ways to ensure these mini vehicles are safe and their riders are savvy about risks and the rules of the road, the currently demonized scooter could offer cities a free-flowing way out of the gridlock.

The author is an editor for China Daily based in London. Contact the writer at earle@mail.chinadailyuk.com

(China Daily European Weekly 09/09/2016 page13)