Shanghai’s swirl of old and new

HAVING spent almost a week in Shanghai, I was amused to read about the suggestion to ban kap chai motorcycles (the local term for underbone motorcycles with engine capacities below 150cc) in Malaysia.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke shot down the proposal, saying it would not be practical because the majority of the 16 million registered bikes in Malaysia are of the kap chai variety.

Loke said 72% of road accident fatalities in 2017 involved motorcyclists and pillion riders.

He, however, did raise the possibility of switching to electric motorcycles, which are less powerful and slower.

My suggestion to the honourable minister is to visit Shanghai because that is exactly what happened here. It has been 15 years since I last set foot in Shanghai and the biggest change for me is the complete absence of the two-stroke motorcycles.

Don’t get me wrong, the two-wheelers are everywhere; it’s just that they are all electric now.

I discovered that the death of the petrol-engined motorcycles started as part of the crackdown on endemic pollution in the world’s largest city five years ago.

Their two-stroke engines were partially responsible for the high pollution levels and when Shanghai introduced the strictest air pollution laws in China, they had to go.

Incredibly, China now accounts for some 90% of global sales of electric bikes. And they haven’t stopped there. The country is also the leader in electric cars, with 22 million of them sold in 2018 alone.

Personally, walking on Shanghai roads this trip feels very different to when I first visited this city. Because of the electric bikes, noise pollution levels have definitely reduced and the city feels cleaner.

But having read about China’s efforts to combat pollution, I was disappointed with the hazy air that greeted us as soon as we exited the airport. The haze may be familiar to Malaysians, but average API (air pollutant index) readings of 130 over the six days I was here doesn’t make it any less palatable.

Smog is still persistent despite numerous efforts by the authorities to reduce pollution. Maximising fines, prohibiting open burning, closing down factories that emit air pollution, tightening bans on heavy polluting vehicles and promoting (via government subsidies) green vehicles, these are part of the US$16bil spent on some 200 initiatives to reduce pollution.

Based on the time I spent in Shanghai, the city still has some ways to go in dealing with smog.

The haze aside, though, there was a lot to admire about the world’s most populated city.

Shanghai’s efforts in heritage conservation is evident in the large number of well-preserved buildings that are often in close proximity to the ultra-modern skyscrapers that dot the skyline.

Rarely do you see Shanghainese these days taking out cash to pay for anything. Everything is done via the smartphone. Even street vendors allow payment via e-wallet.

But the one thing that impressed me the most is the improvement in public transportation. Going electric was important, but the roads – highways and expressways – are now excellent.

Two-wheelers are restricted to urban roads and are banned from highways, making travel times smoother and safer.

The subway, though often crowded, connects most parts of the city, and is ultra-convenient. The Chinese Uber or Grab equivalent (I tried DiDi) is readily available.

And fear not if you need to use the taxi. Following a crackdown, all cabs now use the meter system. This came as a relief as I remember being fleeced the last time I was here.

The jewel in the crown for the city’s transport network is its high-speed rail (HSR) system. The network is extensive, on-time and efficient. I took a train to Hangzhou and the entire 175km journey took only 45 minutes. But that’s nothing because the much-anticipated Beijing-Zhangjiakou HSR, the world’s first smart rail line, will run at speeds of 350kph and use cutting-edge technologies.

It has been an eventful six days for me in Shanghai and I don’t intend to wait another 15 years before returning. On my bucket list is a visit to Yu Gardens, a 15th century landscaped attraction located in the old city, which was closed for renovations.

The writer believes some of the best Chinese food around is available in Shanghai and at reasonable prices. Just ask the locals.