South China Morning Post
16th July 2023
New mode of transport: able-bodied young people in China swap e-bikes for electric wheelchairs to dodge tightened road rules
By Fran Lu
Able-bodied young people have found a new way to commute in bustling southern city of Guangzhou
Move to wheelchairs backed by some online but others deride the transport switch as ‘sick’.
Youngsters in Guangzhou appear to have found a unique way to protest against tighter regulations on e-bikes – by turning to electric wheelchairs instead.
Quirky videos of young people in the southern Chinese city using the power chairs for their commute have gone viral in recent days.
But the clips have also divided opinion on social media, with many people turned off by the idea of co-opting what is essentially a mode of transport for the disabled.
“Abled young people commuting in electric wheelchairs designed for patients or disabled people is supposed to be funny, but I feel more angry and sad – is it people or society that is sick?” commented one person.
Guangzhou is set to execute several new regulations to crack down on the proliferation of e-bikes.