Traffic police in Pingtan county have urged residents to stop installing umbrellas on their two-wheeled vehicles, the Pingtan Times reported on Aug 11.

A motorbike rider drives with an umbrella on his vehicle in Pingtan. [Photo/pingtan.gov.cn]

The creative idea of attaching umbrellas to vehicles has proved to be instrumental in shielding bike and motorcycle riders from the strong sun, but it is not in compliance with traffic regulations, said police.

Many of those fixing an umbrella onto their motorbikes are professional motorbike taxi drivers. They argue that their business could slump without the gadget.

But some motorbike taxi drivers are also in favor of the prohibition, saying it adds to safety concerns.

“I’ve seen an accident where the strong wind brought down the driver and passengers on a motorbike with an umbrella,” said a motorbike taxi driver.

Installing umbrellas on motorbikes is a traffic violation, in which case the umbrella will be confiscated with a fine of 150 yuan for the drivers. What’s more, the vehicle, if it is for business purposes, will be detained for a week as punishment, according to traffic police.