POLICE are working in tandem to ban tandems.

While some tandem bikes are found in tourist spots, they are banned from the open streets in China, according to the traffic law.

About 120 such bikes from a shared bike company appeared in suburban Songjiang District recently, but they have already been removed from the streets by the police.

Songjiang police said at the weekend that the shared tandem bikes were parked on the curbside in several locations. The company, which agreed to take the tandems off the streets after being approached by police, didn’t say if the bikes had already been tried out.

Police warn that illegal riders of tandem bikes will be fined 30 yuan (US$4.50).

Meanwhile, Shanghai traffic police have announced that they have stepped up efforts to crack down on illegal parking of shared bikes on roads and bike lanes as well as at banned spots on pedestrian walks, especially in major streets in the downtown area, traffic hubs and tourist spots.

Police said they have talked to shared bike companies about the rules and also asked them not to add bikes to parking spots during peak hours.