The Information Office of Shanghai Municipalality held a media briefing today (April 3) and deputy chief of Shanghai Public Security Bureau Chen Zhen introduced the recent rectification work of road traffic violations and the focus of the next step.

Xing Peiyi, the head of the Traffic Police Corps of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, attended the conference and answered questions from reporters.

I The latest results of recent traffic safety management work

According to the city’s traffic authority statistics, in recent years, the number of road traffic accidents, deaths, and injuries in Shanghai continued to decline. In 2018, the year-on-year decline was 6.3 percent for road accidents, 5.2 percent for deaths and 6.8 percent for injuries, respectively, a record low in history. The average daily traffic cases handled by police emergency hotline also fell 12.4 percent from a year ago.

Since 2018, the city's public security authority has been continuing to enhance traffic safety management and education work through four aspects, “law enforcement, management, science and technology, and service” and has made remarkable achievements in traffic safety management.

Achievement No.1: Law enforcement activities have been strengthened to tackle some of the most long-standing traffic rule violations in every part of the city and through every dimension.

The first is to continue to ensure the crackdown of the violation against traffic rules by motor vehicles.

The traffic authority has maintained a strong hand on rectification of traffic rule violations, and has maintained a strict standard regarding law enforcement. Accidents involving large trucks, motor vehicle noise disturbance, illegal parking and other phenomena have been effectively improved and corrected, and the law compliance rate among motor vehicles has significantly improved. The second is to rectify violations by non-motor vehicles and pedestrians. Special actions were launched in response to traffic violations such as unlicensed driving, jaywalking, reverse driving and a step-by-step disciplinary procedure has been put into place. For first-time offenders, they will be educated on relevant rules and second-time offenders will receive a verbal warning, and a penalty for third-time offenders. The third is to promote the social co-governance of the most difficult traffic problems. The public security authority has kept a close eye on the difficult issues such as illegal car-hailing, shared rental bikes, delivery scooters of take-out orders.

Traffic authority has launched a number of innovative solutions for these problems.

For example, car hailing platforms were asked to submit vehicle information to traffic authorities to promote police-enterprise cooperation.

Regarding illegally parked shared rental bicycles, new techniques have been put in place to disable the lock and unlock functions.

On-demand take-out delivery firms also initiated new management methods such as designated vehicle and car plates for each delivery man so they could be better tracked and managed.

Achivement No.2: Overall improvement in refined management

Continuous improvement has been made in refined management of road traffic and road efficiency. First, optimization of road traffic control. Adjustment and improvement in traffic light and cross road arrangement has been meticulously made to reduce conflicting traffic points; and real-time tracking of traffic flow change alongside municipal engineering projects, as well as dynamic adjustment of traffic through various methods including changeable lanes have been adopted to make full use of the city’s road network. Second, prevention and control of road traffic accidents. The traffic police mainly focus on prevention, road management and control, and in-depth investigation before, during and after the accidents. In 2018, 19 corporate heads and security executives were placed under “criminal compulsory measures” while some 80 executives were held accountable for administrative responsibilities. Third, a focus on the improvement of traffic environment for the wellbeing of the general public. Across the city, the traffic police have set up some 2,300 roadside parking sites, including about 110 night-only parking sites within residential communities and some 270 temporary parking sites near campuses to maximize the land use for parking purposes. Moreover, some 3,000 passenger pick-up and drop-off spots for buses and taxis have also been set.

Achievement No.3: Shanghai template of smart traffic application

A Shanghai template for smart traffic has been built by adopting big data analysis, cloud computering, Internet of Things and AI technologies into traffic management. First, notable improvement in area traffic efficiency. The traffic police have trialed a “smart traffic lights management system” in three areas around the city covering a total of 33 square kilometers, namely the former Expo sites in Puxi, the Bund area in Huangpu District and the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) area, to monitor real-time road conditions, allocate accordingly traffic rights and provide smart traffic guides so that traffic efficency has been raised by an average 10 percent. Meanwhile, the traffic police have also partnered with the local transport administration as well as related enterprises such as AutoNavi and Baidu to develop some big data analysis model to help drivers make smart decisions in route selection. Second, steady improvement in off-site law enforcement. At some crossroads along the Bund and around the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), a pedestrian warning system, the first of its kind in the country, has been implemented to automatically detect traffic violation attempts like jaywalking and make warnings afterwards. As multi-functional, comprehensive electronic police cameras have been gradually expanded to further improve the city’s off-site law enforcement network and further R&D efforts have been made to work out new models of electronic police cameras that will be able to detect violations such as noise-making vehicles and drivers going through the tunnels without turning their lights on as required, the city’s traffic orders have greatly improved while vehicle noises have been effectively reduced, jointly contributing to a more friendly living environment. Third, removement of hidden risks by accurate data analysis.The traffic police have adopted technologies including big data and intelligent identification to compare, analyze and detect “unqualified” drivers, vehicles with fake plates, etc.

Achievement No.4: Convenience services project implemented at full speed

Shanghai Bureau of Public Security has always adhered to the people-centered principle, has made constant efforts to aid people's livelihood by sticking to their needs, and has effectively improved the public's sense of achievement and satisfaction.

Firstly, we have simplified the procedures. Measures such as “one-stop” inspection of motor vehicles and “inter-provincial and off-site inspection” have been implemented to further simplify the process of motor vehicle registration and inspection. Payment has been made electronically. Eighteen license businesses can be operated with the applicant’s ID cards.

Secondly, we have extended our service touch points. We have moved the one-stop driver’s license business to 20 medical hospitals. Administrative examination and approval items for traffic management, such as “renewal of driver’s license upon expiration” and “exemption of motor vehicles from inspection for six years,” have been delegated to the “comprehensive windows” of traffic police detachments and police stations of various sub-bureaus, so as to facilitate the operations.

Thirdly, we have deepened the “Internet plus” services. A full range of traffic management business can be done online through application like the “Shanghai Traffic Police,” whose functions such as online penalty payment, quick compensation and one-touch vehicle movement are widely praised.

We have streamlined and fully implemented online administrative approval items for 65 items concerning vehicles and drivers, promoted the “Home Depot” service, and implemented online quick handling of 27 business items such as replacement of license plates and driving permits.

Shanghai is now in a critical period for economic and social transformation and development. The traffic situation facing Shanghai is still grim and the pressure of road traffic safety management is still very great.

At present, the city has a total of over 6 million motor vehicles, but there is basically no increase in urban roads. The new round of infrastructure construction has also temporarily exacerbated the shortage of road resources, and the contradiction between supply and demand of transportation resources is prominent.

In addition, traffic safety problems of large freight cars and weak awareness of law-abiding among non-motor vehicles and pedestrians are also important factors affecting traffic management.

We will center around the celebration of our nation’s 70th anniversary as well as the 2nd China International Import Expo to meet people’s need for a better road traffic environment. We will spare no efforts to the comprehensive improvement of traffic violations, guide and mobilize the public to participate in traffic safety management, and realize the goal of “reducing accidents, ensuring smooth flow, providing excellent service and building up better images.”

II Priorities for the remediation work in the next step

Firstly, Shanghai will crack down on traffic violations committed by non-motor vehicles and pedestrians, insist on “full coverage” and “zero tolerance,” to achieve a marked improvement in the traffic order for both pedestrians and non-motor vehicles.

The work will focus on four aspects: the unlicensed electric bicycles, electric bicycles with additional coverings, and rickshaws tuned with power equipment; offences of non-motor vehicles, including running a red light, retrograde, and run against the ban; pedestrians’ running red lights and jaywalking; and pedestrians’ and non-motor vehicles’ crossing the line at the red light.

The main remedial measures include: to organize joint law enforcement of different types of police, to implement the most stringent law enforcement standards, and to further promote lawmaking and put the regulations into practice. Meanwhile, the city will explore 12 management mechanisms, including the “one person, one car, one license, one code” and the “points management system for rider,” to cover all delivery companies in Shanghai. We will set up a monthly communication meeting and the industry “blacklist” system -- Riders listed in the “blacklist” will be taken relevant restrictions. At the same time, in view of the situation where some express and delivery enterprises make a commitment to the time limit for delivery which resulting in a large number of traffic violations committed by riders in pursuit of speed, Shanghai will urge the relevant delivery enterprises to adjust their management regulations, so as to reduce the occurrence of such non-motor vehicle traffic violations in the first place. Also, the city will strengthen the governance of the sources of illegal sales and illegal modification and retrofitting of non-motor vehicle, increasing the efforts to push forward investigation and bans.

Secondly, the city will increase the efforts to crack down on traffic violations of large vehicles and promote the accident prevention and control, focus on source management and hidden danger control, and implement an effective prevention and control system for large vehicle accident risks.

In 2018, the number of road traffic accidents involving large vehicles decreased by 11.3 percent year on year, and the number of deaths dropped by 8.2 percent from a year earlier. Although the figures have declined, large vehicles, especially large freight vehicles are showing a serious accident-prone problem that cannot be ignored. This year, we will continue to improve traffic safety management for large vehicles in the following aspects:

First, Shanghai will make efforts to eliminate hidden dangers from the sources of traffic accidents. In terms of the issues such as not implementing the enterprise safety regulations and vehicle safety problems, authorities will take them seriously in accordance with law, forcing enterprises to fulfill their responsibility of safety management. In-depth investigations shall be conducted into traffic accidents causing death and in which drivers of large vehicles bear the main responsibility, and relevant enterprises and personnel shall be held accountable for the accidents in accordance with the law.

Second, Shanghai will enhance the on-site investigation and disposal of illegal acts. In terms of the prominent traffic violations concerning the safety of people’s lives and properties, including overloaded large trucks and fatigue driving, authorities will pull out all stops to give due punishment without indulgence.

Third, the city will strengthen publicity, education, and warnings and exposure of irregularities. We will educate the traffic participants to pay attention to avoid large vehicles to prevent accidents caused by close distance. For the companies that don't take the responsibility of safety problems or have caused traffic accidents frequently, authorities will impose severe punishments and exposure according to the law as a powerful deterrent to stop more violations and irregularities.

Thirdly, the acceleration of upgrade in smart traffic, realizing dynamic road allocation, real-time road monitoring and intelligent road guide.

The first is to push forward the upgrade of the project of smart public security. The city will set up machines with the system reminding people when they cross a road in 100 key intersections within the Outer Ring Road area by the end of this year; the city will also expand the coverage of smart traffic signal management system, launching it in 1,000 strategic intersections within the Outer Ring Road by the end of this year to create a scale effect.

The second is to enhance the capability of off-site law enforcement. The city will promote related equipment such as digital road cameras and digital marks for electric bikes. The city will also improve the functions of “instant notification for snapped rule-breaking behaviors” through expanding the coverage of supervision and enhancing the equipment’s sensing abilities.

The third is to further integrate platforms and data. The city will accelerate the unified construction of the “one-stop” business registration and approval system and consolidate services applications such as “Shanghai Traffic Police” and “Car Services to Home” to make online services highly integrated and aggregated. Meanwhile, the city will try to develop an application for car-parking services to make it easier for people to park their cars.

The fourth is to include the traffic credit information into the Shanghai Public Credit Information Services Platform to link serious traffic violations with personal or corporate credit, which can create more constraints over traffic offenders.

The Article 58 of the Shanghai Road Traffic Management Rule lists 101 kinds of traffic violation behaviors in four categories, including “being scored by others, scoring for others, introducing substituted scores and escape after a traffic accident.” Based on this, the public security bureau now increased 25 traffic violations of six categories, including “bribery or fraud behaviors of applicants during the exams” and “deliberately conceal or provide fake materials to apply for driving licenses.” The contents will be increased and adjusted in accordance with actual situations every year in the future.

At the same time, the public security bureau will make more use of credit information. For example, people can’t apply for driving licenses again in three years if they use improper measures like concealing or bribery to obtain the licenses; for people transporting special goods and toxic chemicals with pared credit, the approval process will be much stricter. Besides, other administrative departments will also inquire the traffic credit information to make it a reference for people’s application in other areas.