Shanghai NPC delegates push for new national traffic laws

Shanghai’s deputies to the first session of the 13th National People’s Congress have called for changes to national traffic laws to take into account revolutionary developments such as driverless cars and shared bicycles.

A proposal presented by Chen Jing, secretary-general of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai People’s Congress, points to the growth of new-energy vehicles and intelligent driving that has led to the emergence of intelligent connected vehicles and self-driving cars that are now being tested on the roads, while newer industries like shared bicycles and cars are also popping up.

If the proposal is adopted, the law would also address the boom in e-bikes, particularly the substandard models which do not meet safety standards.

“Now e-bikes are much bigger and much faster, but the penalties remain the same as for ordinary bicycles — which is often a fine of 5 to 20 yuan (80 US cents to US$3.15),” Chen said. His plan would also help in better managing special vehicles such as elderly mobility scooters.

A proposal by another Shanghai deputy, Chen Mingbo, also calls for laws for driverless cars.