Illegal parkers, reckless drivers, jaywalkers: the law is watching you
Print Edition
A tough crackdown on bad drivers and errant pedestrians in Minhang District netted 43 arrests and 97 detentions in the past month.
One prime area of lawbreaking is illegal parking, authorities said. Indeed, more than 65,000 cars have been seized. Jaywalkers, too, have come under the long arm of the law.
“To be fair about it, some of the illegal acts are caused by poor traffic facilities and inadequate public transport,” said Song Jianneng, an official with Minhang traffic police. “We hope that the current campaign will help focus attention on the need to improve public services.”
The busy Xinzhuang Metro Station area is a prime focus of the crackdown. Many taxis waiting for fares don’t park in designated zones, and pedestrians blithely ignore traffic lights.
“It’s not our fault,” complained a cabbie surnamed Zhang. “The designated parking zone is very narrow and has huge roadblocks on one side. I can’t count the times I have banged into those blocks. I don’t dare park there anymore.”
Traffic police said the current taxi zone is a temporary one, and problems there will be eased when renovation of the station is finished.
Pedestrians also plead extenuating circumstances.
“The street at the station is so wide and the red light is very long,” said Ray Pei, a resident living in Xinzhuang Town. “Sometimes I have to wait up to 10 minutes to cross the road and then I miss my bus. It’s especially a disaster at rush hour.”
Pei said he hopes traffic lights at main crossroads will be adjusted in future to consider the needs of pedestrians.
The frustrations and traffic load often spill over into provocations. A policeman named Gao Xiaoshun was hit by a moped while on duty, breaking his left leg. He had tried to stop the moped, which was illegally carrying a pillion passenger, when the driver accelerated and sped from the scene. The driver was later arrested.
“It happens,” said Gao wistfully. “We just need to impress upon people the importance of obeying the traffic rules, for their own sakes.”
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