Deliverymen learn the lesson of ignoring bike ban
In Lujiazui tourist area where no bikes are allowed on most of the streets, food deliverymen and express couriers who break the law are now subject to education sessions held by traffic police.
Since August 4, over 100 illegal bike riders have done so. The new measure has helped improve traffic order, Pudong police said on Tuesday.
Around noon on Tuesday, about a dozen offenders were taken off the streets over a 1-hour and led to the “traffic safety learning room” — actually a container box on a construction site next to the headquarters of the traffic police.
The traffic police are supposed to take their noon break at lunchtime, but in order to catch more offenders, they work overtime because food deliverymen most often appear at lunchtime.
An ele.me deliveryman surnamed Zhu was one of the first of seven offenders nabbed during Tuesday lunchtime.
While watching a video showing the consequences of breaking traffic laws and listening to the policemen explaining, he got a phone call from his client and had to tell him that his food would be late.
Zhu told Shanghai Daily that he was stopped by the police at the crossroads of Lujiazui Ring Road and Huayuanshiqiao Road after delivering food to a client in Jinmao Tower.
“If I avoid riding the bike on Century Avenue, then instead of 10 minutes I would have to spend over 20 minutes on my way to the client, which could get myself a complaint from the client,” he said.
Food deliverymen said their companies will deduct their salaries if they are late delivering food too many times, although the deliverymen have been warned not to break traffic laws.
“I will try to avoid taking orders from this area as much as possible,” Zhu said.
Another ele.me deliveryman surnamed Lei, whose branch delivery station is located within this area, said he is fined 30 to 50 yuan (US$5 to 8) by the police for breaking the bike ban several times a month, but his company covers his fines.
“But a complaint from the client could cost us 200 yuan, and the company won’t help with that,” he said.
About 1,400 companies are located within this area which is about 1.7 square kilometers in size.
Bikes are not allowed on the entire Lujiazui Ring Road and all streets within it as well as on Lujiazui Road W., Mingzhuta Road, Guohuizhongxin Road, Fenghe Road and the Century Avenue between Pudong Road S. and Lujiazui Ring Road.
Police said this means that bikes are not allowed to appear on motor lanes, but bike riders can walk by the bike and push it along next to them on pedestrian walks.
However, police warn that the bikes are not allowed to be parked on pedestrian walks along the streets where bikes are banned.
Zhou Xiaocheng, an official of the traffic police in charge of this area, said one or two traffic accidents involving bikes and cars which cause injuries take place every day here.
An ele.me food deliveryman on Lujiazui Ring Road broke the bike ban at noon on Tuesday.
An ele.me food deliveryman illegally rode an e-bike on a motor lane and also in the wrong direction on Lujiazui Ring Road at noon on Tuesday.
