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China

Shenzhen

A fishing village turned tech hub on Hong Kong's doorstep. On the intercity railway, your passport is the ticket.

Gongxiang danche (shared bikes)

You unlock a bike by scanning its QR code in an app. Only three operators run here - Meituan, Qingju and Hellobike - each on a fleet quota the city awards by tender, and national rules require real-name registration.

Updated 13 days ago

  • Until Sep 30, 2026

    Some roads are closed to bicycles too

    A notice from the Shenzhen traffic police divides the city into first, second and third-level restricted zones for non-motor vehicles. Roads in a first-level zone are closed around the clock to every non-motor vehicle, bicycles included; only two stretches - Yansan Road in Yantian and Bisan Road in Pingshan - are exempt for bicycles. Side roads alongside an urban expressway are not covered. A first-level zone covers expressways, the main carriageways of urban expressways and any flyover, tunnel or interchange without a separate bike lane; the municipal gazette's explanatory page lists the roads in full. This edition runs from 1 April to 30 September 2026.

How to ride

  1. 1
    Register in an app before you ride
    National rules require riders to register under their real name, and no bike unlocks until that is done.
  2. 2
    Scan the QR code on the bike
    Scanning the code in the app releases the lock; the city's rules encourage operators to take no deposit at all.
  3. 3
    Ride in the bike lane
    Use the bike lane, else the road's far right. Expressways and urban expressways are banned - 500 yuan; side roads are exempt.
  4. 4
    Park only in a marked bay
    Never leave a bike on a carriageway, footbridge, underpass, green space or fire lane, or at a station or bus stop entrance.

Payment

Phone wallet Unverified
No official page says whether an overseas card can be linked
App tickets
美团单车哈啰单车 Hellobike青桔单车
In the wallet: Unlocking is by app; Hellobike's deposit waiver runs through Sesame Credit
Cash
No counter or machine hires out a bike for cash

Quick facts

Heads-up

  • The fine for a motor lane or expressway lands on the rider

    The fines land on the rider, and they are not small. Article 9 of the Shenzhen SEZ road traffic penalties regulation sets a 500-yuan fine on anyone riding a non-motor vehicle in a motor vehicle lane against the rules, and the same amount for riding onto an expressway or urban arterial. It is the rider who pays, not the operator.

  • No parking on footbridges, green space or fire lanes

    The rules on where you may leave a bike are detailed. The city's regulation names carriageways, bike lanes, footbridges, underpasses, public green space, reservoirs, watercourses, wetlands, fire lanes and accessibility installations as no-parking zones. Transport interchanges, freight and passenger terminals and roadside strips are restricted zones where bikes may only be left at designated spots. A bike left outside those rules is one the operator can be ordered to clear, and it is fined 200 yuan per bike it leaves in place.

  • Take a hired e-scooter onto the street and you are liable

    E-scooters and self-balancing boards are not treated as vehicles in the Shenzhen SEZ road traffic penalties regulation; they sit under the rules for pedestrians. Article 8 sets a 100-yuan fine for using one in a motor vehicle lane and 200 yuan for going onto an expressway or urban arterial against the rules. Even where you find one to hire, riding it out onto the street makes you liable.

  • Under-12s cannot ride, even on an adult's account

    Children under 12 may not use a shared bike, and the city's own guidance separately bars renting one for an under-12 to ride on the road - hiring it on an adult's account does not change that. The same exclusion covers anyone unable to ride safely, unwell, or after drinking.

Timetable

Typical duration A tool for the kilometre or two beyond the metro station
Check the official site for the latest times and service status