Shanghai transport authorities release first impunity rules list

Passenger transport and freight service providers who have modified licensed vehicles without approval will not be punished if they restore the cars to their original state within a given period of time, according to the first list of impunity released by Shanghai's transportation authorities on Tuesday.

The list, which includes 38 minor violations, covering road transportation, waterway transport and taxi operation, will take effect from September 20.

Another rule on the list stipulates that road management offenders may escape punishment if they haven't caused damage to public facilities, traffic congestion and traffic accidents.

The introduction of the list is part of the city's efforts to improve its business environment by promoting lists of impunity.

Other governments in the city are also taking action to activate market vitality.

Among them, the firefighting authority released a renewed version of its list of impunity introduced in March 2019.

Among the added items was one saying that enterprises who are found to have occupied firefighting accesses or escape passages for the first time can get exemption from being fined if they correct the problems immediately.

The rule will come into effect on September 1.

Shanghai has been striving to promote and expand its unified lists of impunity rules, aiming to establish a more friendly commercial environment for local businesses since March 2019.

Minor offenders, such as companies who break laws lightly, can avoid some of the administrative penalties.

It doesn't mean that offenders can escape punishment every time as the guideline specifies that "if the illegal act is found for the first time, causes no obvious social harm, and (the entity) corrects and cooperates with the investigation by officials," it can avoid some of the administrative penalties and enforcement measures.

The city has launched 14 lists of impunity rules covering fields such as market supervision, fire and rescue, cultural market and environment as well as tourism.

More than 5,000 enterprises have benefited from the Shanghai lists. The total amount of fines exempted exceeds 595 million yuan (US$87.58 million).

Shanghai's lists of impunity rules will cover all fields of judicial and law enforcement by the end of next year, said Lu Weidong, head of the Shanghai Justice Bureau.

To reach the goal, a new guideline will be released on August 20 to specify the regulations.