(ECNS) -- Thousands of couriers in south China's Shenzhen City quit their jobs after the city launched a campaign that targeted speeding electro-tricycles and motorcycle taxis, catching 874 couriers and confiscating nearly 18,000 electric bikes and tricycles used by express delivery companies.
Traffic police in the city in Guangdong Province launched the campaign on March 21, with a focus on nabbing two-wheeled and three-wheeled electric vehicles that break the speed limit. Shenzhen requires these vehicles to drive at a maximum speed of 20km/h and weigh 40 kg at most.
According to local rules, express delivery companies need to register their vehicles with traffic police through the postal departments, but the limited ration as well as turnover in the sector means many couriers are using electricity-powered vehicles that exceed the speed limit.
A manager from a courier service said heavy traffic jams in urban areas force couriers to use electric bikes. Following the campaign, couriers have had to use small vans or carry delivery loads on their backs, leading to piles of undelivered packages.
Another express delivery company also said Shenzhen is now faced with mountains of undelivered packages due to the campaign and that many couriers have quit their jobs. One company put its number of job-hoppers as high as 1,000.
The city is estimated to deliver 1.5 million packages a day. Official data shows that police seized 17,975 electric bikes and tricycles in the ten days from when the crackdown started. They also caught 874 people, including eight suspects who turned violent while resisting police.
Most express delivery companies rely on electric bikes and tricycles to send packages.
Local authorities also promised cash rewards to prevent couriers from speeding or making unauthorized modifications to their vehicles.
Beijing is drafting plans to include electric bikes and tricycles in the management of non-motorized vehicles, the Beijing News reported. Beijing now has more than 4 million electric bikes and tricycles, with 2.9 million failing to meet various standards.
