Due to a series of measures, unveiled earlier this year, to ease traffic in Beijing, the cost of travelling by privately owned vehicles is rising rapidly. The price hike is making many choose to travel by bicycle instead. Our reporter looks at the increase of bike sales - and cyclists - in the capital.

Thanks to the latest efforts to tackle the gridlock in Beijing, like the license-plate lottery system and increased parking fees, many people are now travelling by bike.

Beijing resident said "Nowadays, I go to work by bike, because travelling by private car costs a lot. Oil prices are rising and parking fees are very high. What’s more, there’s traffic restrictions on the date a car can travel on the roads. So I think travelling by bike is more convenient and environmentally friendly."

With more budding cyclists on the roads, there has been a boost in bike sales over the past few months.

Bicycle seller in Beijing said "According to the records in our sales spots, sales this year are very satisfying. To be specific, it's increased by around 15%."

But travelling by bike has its hazards as cars sometimes use the bicycle paths for driving. There's also the risk of getting your bike stolen as there aren't adequate places to lock them up.

Beijing resident said "I've lost three bicycles. All of them were stolen when I parked them on the side of the street. So now I keep my new bicycle at home and only use it occasionally. And usually I just ride this old, bad-looking one, so it won't be stolen."

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