According to a local newspaper, Wuhan police have tracked down more than 400 missing public bicycles, with the help of Xinfeida, the company that operates a free bicycle-renting scheme in the city.

The scheme is a part of green initiative by the Wuhan government to encourage more people to ride bicycles rather than drive cars. Local residents use their ID cards to swap for rental cards, which allows them to pick up bicycles at one collection point and return them at another.

In a recent campaign to retrieve missing bicycles, the police focused on six residential areas in the city centre and mobilised local residents. On the evening of 27 November alone, 200 people were involved and they found 132 bicycles.

Guilty parties will not be allowed to have free access to the bicycles for at least six months, according to the operator. If they violate again, they will not banned from participating in the scheme for life.