Fewer traffic accidents this year thanks to tougher regulations

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

The city’s efforts to tackle its traffic woes is paying dividends.

Tougher traffic regulations took effect on March 25 and this has resulted in fewer accidents, less congestion and residents becoming more satisfied with the transportation situation, according to reports brought before the city’s people’s congress.

They were issued by local authorities, including the police and the transportation commission.

With stepped-up inspections and smarter law enforcement devices, the police said that the number of traffic accidents have fallen 12.8 percent after the regulations took effect, with the number of deaths and injuries down 12.5 percent and 21.5 percent respectively, compared to the year-earlier period.

Reports on illegal parking are down by nearly half, and the number of reports on congestion dropped 21 percent, the congress was told.

More than 3,100 illegal uses of vehicle horns were caught.

The city’s transportation commission noted, however, that the number of vehicles is increasing. Despite this, the city’s downtown elevated roads reported congestion had eased in the first half of this year by about 13 percent during working days.

Other roads saw congestion ease by 5 percent during morning peak hours and by 3 percent during evening rush hours.

The speeds of buses using bus-only lanes, meanwhile, rose an average 10 percent.

The commission has opened, canceled or adjusted 128 bus routes to optimize the city’s bus network.

The improvements were reflected in a survey released by Shanghai Civilization Office. It surveyed more than 3,200 people, 76.5 percent of whom said the city’s congestion problems had dramatically improved.

"Bus 71 is the best bus route so far, even on Yan’an Road, when other cars or buses all move slowly,” said resident Li Dunqin, who is 74. 

The survey said many people complained about delivery men flouting the law and shared bikes causing parking problems.