Cartoon/ Wang Weibin
"Tickets can be issued at will, because we have connections", in the future, drivers who "know someone up top" will no longer talk to traffic police like this.
The Public Security Department of the province will "lock down" the municipal violation processing system. The phenomenon of changing tickets through connections may become increasingly difficult; Traffic police throughout the province will also be equipped with police communication devices, with GPS functionality, allowing for card swiping payment of fines.
At the meeting, regarding the "traffic jam" phenomenon, members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and representatives of the National People's Congress (NPC) offered various suggestions: increasing the severity of penalties for pedestrians crossing red lights and other traffic violations; learning from foreign experiences, introducing peak-hour driving fees to alleviate traffic congestion in Zhengzhou.
Measures
"Locking down" the violation processing system
At the meeting convened by the Traffic Police Corps of the Provincial Public Security Department titled "Learning the Spirit of Secretary Lu Zhan Gong's Speech, Promoting Traffic Management Work," a series of measures were announced.
"Strict and impartial law enforcement, establishing legal authority." Chief Zhang Yimin of the Traffic Police Corps said that this is Secretary Lu Zhan Gong's requirement for improving the credibility of traffic police law enforcement. In the future, traffic police throughout the province will focus on three key areas: combating drunk driving; addressing fake license plates and documents, as well as cloned plates; and intensifying efforts against official vehicles.
Zhang Yimin stated that to prevent local traffic management departments from arbitrarily modifying or canceling tickets for violators, the Provincial Public Security Department has "locked down" the municipal violation processing system. If there are any irregular modifications to tickets at the local level, the monitoring system of the Provincial Public Security Department will automatically trigger an alarm.
Traffic police equipped with police communication devices, enabling card swiping payment of fines
To enhance the efficiency of traffic police management, they will be provided with a batch of high-tech equipment.
Zhang Yimin said that by the end of the year, the mobile police communication device system for all traffic police in the province will be completed, realizing online mobile law enforcement by officers, promoting informatization, practicality, and standardization of grassroots policing.
Police communication devices are equipped with GPS functionality, preventing traffic police from leaving their posts, and facilitating the coordination of the nearest traffic police to accident scenes, thus improving law enforcement efficiency. Violators can also use the police communication devices to pay fines on-site via card swiping.
Establishment of a central control room to monitor whether police cars violate regulations
The establishment of a central control room is one of the high-tech initiatives introduced by the Traffic Police Corps of the Provincial Public Security Department.
Zhang Yimin said that this central control room consists of several large screens, which provide real-time supervision and scheduling of the GPS positioning of patrol cars of traffic police throughout the province, driver's license examination sites, and six types of key monitored vehicles (operating buses, public buses, taxis, school buses, hazardous chemical transport vehicles, engineering transport vehicles).
In checking for drunk driving, last year our province detained 60,000 people
"Our province has adopted a very firm stance in dealing with drunk driving." Zhang Yimin said that last year, nationwide, 30,000 people were detained for drunk driving, but Henan alone detained 6,000 people, accounting for 1/5 of the national total.
Vehicle administration office services available right at your doorstep
In the future, the traffic police department will fully utilize and integrate social public management resources, relying on motor vehicle sales 4S stores, automobile trading markets, and other social organizations to improve the service functions of traffic management service stations. Measures such as setting up windows for handling difficult issues, business agency, appointment services, and mobile vehicle administration offices providing door-to-door services will bring services directly to the doorsteps of the public. "The power of the vehicle administration office must be delegated, so that ordinary people can handle business right at their doorstep," Zhang Yimin said.
Judges participating in mediating compensation for traffic accidents
Regarding the handling of traffic accidents, Zhang Yimin said that 47 rapid compensation centers for traffic accidents have been established throughout the province. Additionally, the traffic police department will gradually establish mediation rooms within rural traffic police stations across the province, dispatching full-time people's mediators to reduce disputes over damages caused by road traffic accidents.
In cities, the system of court traffic accident courts being stationed at traffic police stations will be promoted. The Public Security Department will coordinate with the Higher People's Court of the province to establish and improve the mechanism of court traffic accident courts stationed at police stations across the province, improving the efficiency of mediation for damages caused by road traffic accidents and reducing the number of appeals by parties involved in traffic accidents.
Road checkpoints set up to catch hit-and-run vehicles
Next, the Traffic Police Corps of the Provincial Public Security Department will accelerate the construction of the national and provincial road traffic security checkpoint systems across the province. Zhang Yimin said that the purpose of setting up checkpoints is mainly to catch hit-and-run vehicles.
Suggestions
Can traffic assistants be given the power to impose fines?
"The punishment for traffic violations is too lenient, indirectly leading to traffic congestion." Provincial People's Representative Sun Zhongdang, Deputy Director of the Environmental Research Institute of the Zhengzhou Environmental Protection Bureau, said that in reality, it is common to see electric scooter riders and pedestrians crossing red lights, as well as pedestrians climbing over barriers. There used to be penalties, but recently, the penalty intensity has been too small or non-existent, resulting in many people with weak traffic awareness maliciously violating laws.
Sun Zhongdang suggested that perhaps traffic assistants could be given the power to impose mandatory penalties on violators of non-motorized vehicles.
High incidence of lung cancer among traffic police should draw attention to their health
"The time of day when automobile exhaust concentration is highest is noon, which is also the busiest time for traffic police." Sun Zhongdang said that he once conducted a survey showing that workers in the traffic police system have a higher chance of developing lung cancer, related to their "road dust collector" job nature.
He suggested that the police should increase technological investment, reducing the frequency of officers enforcing laws on the road, paying attention to the physical health of officers.
National CPPCC member Si Fuchun also suggested that there should be sufficient investment, early prevention, and early treatment of occupational diseases among traffic police.
Peak hours
Can additional driving fees be charged during peak hours?
CPPCC Standing Committee member Hua Yawei, Vice Chairman of the Agricultural Workers' Party of Henan Province Committee and Deputy Director of the Provincial Tumor Hospital, said that Zhengzhou should learn more from advanced foreign experiences in managing traffic congestion.
"Implement dynamic management, charge fees for driving during peak hours." Hua Yawei said that Singapore's road conditions and traffic facilities are not better than Zhengzhou's, but traffic there is very smooth. Each car is equipped with a vehicle smart card, and fees are used to limit the volume of vehicles.
Additionally, traffic police should abandon traditional ticket-sticking penalties. In Singapore, the traffic police department will expose illegal acts of violators in the media, making violators lose face.