10 Beijing streets designated off-limits to electric bicycles

City rule designed for safety and smooth traffic; violators will pay penalties starting on Monday

Riders of two-wheeled electric bicycles in Beijing risk having to fork out 20 yuan ($3) if they ride on one of the 10 streets prohibited by a new traffic rule, which takes effect on Monday.

Beijing's Traffic Management Bureau, the capital's traffic authority, issued a regulation recently banning certain classes of "nonmotorized" vehicles from 10 specific streets, including the city's main thoroughfare, Chang'an Avenue, and others around Tian'anmen Square in the heart of Beijing.