“The two nurses who put private locks on public-use bikes disturbed the public order,” said Liu Lin, a lawyer at Beijing Shuangli Law Firm, because it prevented other people from using the bikes.
Those who intentionally damage property(故意破坏财产) may face a 5-day administrative detention(行政拘留), according to the Law on Public Security Administration Punishments.
Tang Ke from the publicity office of OFO, the company that owns the bikes, confirmed the news and said further investigation(调查) was underway.
The market for public-use bikes, which are stored along sidewalks and can be used through an app, has developed in China since the middle of last year. The new mode of transportation has brought a greener and more convenient mode of city transportation, but the mode has also caused many problems including illegal(非法的) parking, theft and vandalism(故意破坏). Parking violations(违规) are also a common problem, followed by violation of traffic rules.
“Once users scan the app and click 'accept' when they rent (租借) the bike, they have signed an agreement with the service provider and should follow the rules.” Liu said.
OFO has introduced a blacklist stopping users who break its rules.
Many cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen are preparing some laws to manage the market for public bikes. The Shenzhen traffic police department has also announced fines for the illegal parking of bikes.