Bicycles have begun to return to Beijing police on their patrol in the capital city after a 10-year absence.

About one third of the police in Beijing started to patrol on 1,600 bicycles or electric bicycles this October, returning to the tradition in the 1990s.

The measure was taken in a bid to reduce energy consumption and air pollution, said a report from the Beijing News.

The policemen on bicycles also shoulder the responsibility for instant support to places where traffic was inconvenient.

During the past decade, bicycles of police were replaced by motor vehicles.

But in rush hours, police vehicles were often trapped in traffic jams, which resulted in delay of missions, said Ma Aixin, vice chief of the patrolling detachment of the Chaoyang police substation.

"Bicycle could help tackle this problem," Ma said.

According to an unnamed official with the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, the measure could bring police closer to citizens, as policeman by bicycle could stop more frequently on the way while patrolling.

However, night patrolling was still by motor vehicles which would also be used in harsh weather.

(Xinhua News Agency October 3, 2008)