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April 9, 2015

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Surveying the road ahead to ease traffic jams

EDITOR’S note:

Pan Shuhong is an attorney and a member of the legislation committee of the 14th Shanghai People’s Congress. Shanghai Daily reporter Li Xinran interviewed Pan recently in the lead-up to the city’s extension of a ban on non-local vehicles from congested areas that will be introduced next Wednesday.

Q: Do you think the extension of the ban, in tandem with the current car plate auction, will improve Shanghai’s traffic conditions?

A: When we talk about restrictions on non-local vehicles, we already carry this out in some areas, during some periods. However, I think there is a misunderstanding of the policy.

When we bar non-local vehicles from elevated roads during rush hour they can still travel at ground level creating congestion for local vehicles coming off elevated roads. Traffic jams are not eased despite the restrictions.

Secondly, people may bid for local car plates to acquire almost free access to the city’s traffic network while vehicles with non-local car plate have to be restricted. Legally, it is a management issue and shall have its expiry date in accordance with our country’s laws — though we don’t know when.

In the administration of an international metropolis like Shanghai, restrictions to control the number of vehicles — especially private cars — on the streets, are just one aspect. We have many problems in our transport infrastructure. It’s a complicated issue and cannot be solved by a one-size-fits-all policy.

 

Q: What’s your view of proposals for a city congestion charge?

A: London has a congestion charge zone, but we can’t simply copy what London does. Car plates in London are not acquired through auction. I’ve discussed the issue with Sun Jianping, head of Shanghai’s Transport Commission. Numerous questions arise.

Who would need to pay the congestion charge? Would drivers who successfully bid for a Shanghai car plate have to pay a congestion charge? How much should they pay? We need a formula. (Due to the plate auction) Shanghai has an additional 10,000 cars on its streets every month, too many for our roads.

I’ve also heard of a proposal to bar non-local vehicles from entering the city. I just wonder if Shanghai banned vehicles from other provinces and cities, if they would in return ban Shanghai cars.

Q: Should we let the market determine the price of a car plate?

A: China’s auction law stipulates that a winning bid is whoever offers the highest price or who is willing to accept the auctioneer’s price. However, the monthly auction of Shanghai car plates has a price ceiling which is contrary to basic rules of our auction law.

To some extent, it is not a real auction because success is not through competitive bidding, and bidders with faster Internet speed have a greater chance of success.

In addition, when Shanghai set up the car plate auction our government wanted to control the number of automobiles on the streets, but there was no obvious effect because of the huge demand.

On one hand, we may raise the cost for people to buy and use their cars but on the other, the car plate price cap lets drivers get their plates at a more affordable price. It seems contradictory.

If we let the market determine the price, a Shanghai car plate could be much more expensive.

Many families can afford two cars, so we may raise the cost for them to use our very limited traffic resources. I think it is one of the options that can be considered.

But we have to balance it in relation to constraints on non-local vehicles and the proposed congestion charge.

Q: Are harsh punishments an efficient way to improve Shanghai’s traffic condition?

A: Police in Manhattan in New York harshly punish traffic violations. We may take this practice as a reference but not simply replicate it.

Our road traffic safety laws clearly define violations and punishments, but our officers don’t always enforce them rigorously, especially when offenses are not deliberate. The original intention of the legislation is not to simply punish those who break the law but to teach drivers to abide by the law. We may introduce some good practice from overseas to our daily management, but Shanghai has its own conditions.

 

Q: Is there anything else we need to do to improve our traffic situation?

A: Shanghai’s traffic management concerns urban planning, infrastructure, people’s awareness of the law, our culture and moral standards.

We have laws on road traffic safety from the State Council — China’s Cabinet. We have regulations on road traffic management as well as rules of regional traffic control departments nationwide. But we don’t have any legislation yet on road traffic resources (Ed: for example, laws on how to design one-way traffic.). Shanghai could go in advance to make such rules.




 

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