Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, has been upgrading public bikes and bike-sharing stations to provide greater convenience to residents over the past year.

To date, 299 bike-sharing stations in the city have been upgraded and 3,600 new public bikes are expected to be put into use by the end of this month.

Compared to the old version, the upgraded bicycle is lighter and has an enhanced wheelbase and saddle that makes it more suitable for long-distance riding.

The upgraded bicycles and bike-sharing stations have also been equipped with electrical sensors that will make rental and return possible across the city. 

Residents can rent bikes by swiping their transportation cards or scanning the QR codes.

The rental fee for the public bikes is the same as before: The first hour of each trip is free while rides longer than 60 minutes cost 1 yuan ($0.15) per hour.

Zhoushan authorities said they will continue with efforts to upgrade public bikes and bike-sharing stations.

By the end of June, another 4,500 new bikes will be put into use and 151 bike-sharing stations will be added to the city, according to the Zhoushan urban administration bureau.

A resident tries to ride an upgraded bicycle in a bike-sharing station. [Photo/WeChat account: zjzsrbs]