Restrictions on cars put Beijing commuters back on their bikes

SHOTLIST 1. Wide of sun in sky, pan down to traffic 2. Mid of traffic jam 3. Crowd walking in and out of underground station, pan to row of rental bikes 4. Close of wheels 5. Mid of man taking bike 6. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) (No first name given) Li, commuter using rented bike: "I chose to rent a bicycle because it is convenient, I mean, fast to get to work." 7. Li riding away on bike 8. Man unlocking bike 9. Mid of man riding away on bike 10. Mid of posters showing "Terms and Conditions" of bike rental 11. Close of advertisement on basket of bike 12. Mid of woman hiring bike 13. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) (No first name given) Li, Beijing resident hiring bike: "The air quality of Beijing is not yet so great. I think by choosing this method, I can make my own contribution to the environment. This will be good for the air quality. And it is also convenient." 14. Li riding away on bike 15. Various of rental bikes in front of underground station 16. People riding bikes on street STORYLINE: Restrictions on car use during the Olympics have forced Beijing residents to return to the form of transport that once dominated the Chinese capital - the humble bicycle. As little as 20 years ago, bikes swarmed along Beijing's streets. But a decade of booming growth has seen the car take over, with 3.3 million clogging the roads. Now anti-pollution measures being enforced in the capital have taken up to a third of those off the road, with an odd-even numberplate system in operation. According to the english-language China Daily, bicycle sales have jumped since the rules came into force - and bicycle rentals are proving just as popular. More than twenty bike rental points have opened around the city, most close to stations on Beijing's new subway system. "The air quality of Beijing is not yet so great. I think by choosing this method, I can make my own contribution to the environment. This will be good for the air quality. And it is also convenient," one Beijing resident told AP Television. One man said he decided to hire a bicycle "because it is convenient, I mean, fast to get to work." The rental system, now seen in many cites worldwide, is seen by authorities as one way to help cut Beijing's air pollution. Since opening in 2005, Beijing Bicycle Rental Services has expanded to 70 outlets, with a fleet of 7,000 bikes. Rentals cost 10 yuan an hour (around 1.40 US dollars), with long-term hire even cheaper. China Daily says estimates at the end of 2007 put around 8 million bikes on Beijing's roads, with that number growing rapidly. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/3f94e35d856cc943280371c70e751264 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork