A student rents a bike at one bike rental station on Sunday, December 16, 2007. (Photo: Beijing Times)

By buying an annual rental card of 50 yuan, or 6.8 U.S. dollars, students at Beijing's Tsinghua University can rent bicycles at six bike rental stations on campus, the Beijing News reported.

Forty bicycles are now available for rent at six bike rental stations at the university's five entrances and the arts & design school. The bikes can be rent and returned at any of the stations.  

Bicycle Rental Company, the service's provider, said the six stations are only preliminary and they plan to further expand their service network in different areas in and around the campus. Dormitories, canteens, library, communities and bus stations around the campus are all to be covered, said the company.

Zhang Fengchang, vice-president of Tsinghua University, says he hopes the rental service can facilitate students' commute in and around the campus and relieve bike theft, which is common in universities.

However, many students choose to wait and see. Many complained that the rental fee, together with a 400 yuan deposit, is not desirable while others acknowledged the service but pointed out that the current service networks are too limited to be of great use.

(CRI December 17, 2007)