Shanghai's attempt to crack down on traffic disobedience has just risen to a new level. Shanghai Daily reports that those who continue to ignore traffic rules will receive a penalty after multiple jaywalking offenses.
According to the new regulation, jaywalkers will be let off with a warning from their first two offenses, however any consequent violation will incur an RMB20 penalty.
Image via Sohu
Traffic police will now use their handheld Personal Digital Assistant machines to scan a jaywalker’s ID card, passport or driver’s license. By doing so, police can update their offense records database and check whether the jaywalker is guilty of previous wrongdoings.
If a jaywalker doesn’t have any valid identification, the police will ask them to provide their ID card or passport number. Those who fail to advise this, or give a false number, will receive an on-the-spot fine.
Image via Sohu
In addition to traffic officers, surveillance cameras will continue assisting police to track down jaywalkers. Equipped with facial recognition software, these smart cameras can save the police hours in time with their extraordinary efficiency.
“The cameras can still work normally even if the jaywalkers wear marks, sunglasses or helmets to disguise themselves,” says one of the officers when interviewed by Sohu News. The cameras at the crossroads of Gonghe Xin Lu and Yongxing Lu are said to have identified and caught over 300 offenders in the first two months after their installation, as Shanghai Daily reported last year.
Endeavoring to lower the rate of jaywalkers, the surveillance system went online last year. In an attempt to shame offenders, pictures of violators have been displayed at nearby bus stops until their RMB20 penalty is paid. That being said, this tactic does not seem to be working as expected, since many of the jaywalkers show indifference towards their own humiliation.
Image via Shanghai Daily
This may explain the implementation of the new regulation. “Any traffic incident originates from potential safety risks,” a traffic officer at the 2018 Shanghai Road Safety Conference told Jiefang Daily. According to the statistics released at the conference, the number of incidents in 2018 has a decrease by 10.6 percent (year on year).
As the new regulation continues, it’s safe to say that more jaywalkers will be fined in the hope of teaching pedestrians to practice road safety as they go about their day. So, let’s be careful out there as we cross the roads and remember, this regulation is for our own protection.
[Top image via Shanghai Daily]
