Nine emergency charging piles were put into use in Qidong in early June. [Photo/WeChat account: qdrmt0513]

Nine charging piles for electric bicycles in the urban area of Qidong, a county-level city in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, opened to the public in early June.

The piles are located along near public bicycle stands, where there is generally a high level of traffic. Each pile is equipped with five sockets, which are able to provide charging services for five electric bicycles at the same time.

People can select the corresponding socket by reading the operating procedures on the charging pile and pay by inserting coins. The piles are easy to use and affordable.

"The standard price is 1 yuan (15 cents) for 4 hours or less," said an official from the city's urban management bureau.

Since becoming operational, the nine charging piles have provided emergency charging services more than 600 times.