Residents suggest improvements for the city

Residents who provided advice for Shanghai's development were rewarded for their ideas by city's public complaints and proposals office on Wednesday afternoon.

Their advice covered various fields, including government affairs, the economy, science and technology, social management, urban and rural construction, transport, education, ecological and environmental protection, market supervision, healthcare, culture and tourism, and public security.

Liu Yeqing, of 24-hour convenience store chain Bianlifeng, said at the ceremony that she had submitted a letter about a regulation requiring at least two people to work in the convenience stores during the night.

"This regulation was set and issued in 2002 and released again in 2012. At that time, the city set such regulation because the convenience stores took cash and had less advanced security facilities." Since mobile payments are available in most convenience stores and security has been improved, she felt this rule, which increase costs, was out of date.

She was later invited to a meeting organized by the public security bureau with the city's chain store association, major convenience stores and their security facility suppliers, where they discussed and worked out new plans.

On September 5, the bureau issued a notification allowing stores to set their own security rules. 

Wang Yanping, another resident, suggested authorities carry out random checks on students' lunches at local primary and middle schools.

The schools should set standards for food safety while authorities should make sure all the food provided at schools meets national standards.

Su Ming suggested food authorities enhance supervision of inedible pork, which refers to the meat with pig's lymph, mammary gland and thyroid.

He said data showed last year some 700 to 800 tons of pork was sold in local markets everyday with about 7 to 8 tons of inedible meat being produced.

However, problems emerged with the treatment of such meat, such as only part of the meat is recycled and there aren't enough professional workers treating the meat. And where the meat goes after being collected is also a problem. Some was given to sanitation workers as household waste while the other might be thrown away or sold to others.

He called for regulations, clear records and publicity on the management of such meat.

Tao Liping suggested that with the advance of Yangtze River Delta integration, there should be a unified transport pass to allow delta residents to travel more easily in the area.

By the end of November, the city had received more than 20,000 suggestions from the public on issues including improving public spaces, environmental protection, care of the elderly and the development of artificial intelligence.