Sleeping capsules are laid to rest

Following the success of bike-sharing schemes in China, sleep-sharing has arrived. Whether you need a 30-minute power nap in the middle of the day or a good night's sleep, visitors can now rent a sleep capsule at a mini-hotel in Zhongguancun, a technology hub for startups in Beijing. When tiredness sets in, people simply scan a QR code on the outside of each capsule and pay 6 yuan per 30 minutes during off-peak times or 10 yuan per half-hour for peak times. [Photo/VCG]

EARLIER THIS MONTH, some companies installed "shared sleeping capsules" in office buildings in Beijing and Shanghai, which office workers could rent for a nap during their lunchtime breaks. Yet the local authorities in both municipalities have shut them down, citing fire hazards and other reasons. China Youth Daily comments:

The police in Shanghai said there were two main reasons for shutting down the capsules. First, the management companies did not obtain permission from the fire department, second, the capsules are in essence a hotel and the companies did not get permission to run a hotel.

Such sleeping capsules are convenient because they help white-collar workers find a place to rest during their lunch breaks. However, potential challenges do exist: How to ensure health and safety? How to check the identity of users so that wanted criminals and suspects cannot use them?

These problems must be answered before the sleeping capsules are put into use. That's why the local authorities' decision to shut them down is the right move, because it better protects people's safety before such questions are answered.

The shutting down of the capsules is not necessarily bad news for the companies that were providing them. They now know what they have to do to improve their operations so as to better serve the public.

Some call for tolerance of the "sleeping capsules" as an emerging business model. While the authorities and the public need to show tolerance, those offering the capsules must follow the rules. Meeting health and safety requirements, as well as conducting ID checks, are necessary, and when the management companies meet these required standards, they will find their products are welcome.

We hope the capsules will soon be back with better and safer standards.