SHENZHEN will promote reversible lanes on Meili Road in Futian District and part of Shennan Boulevard in Luohu District to ease traffic congestion during rush hour, according to a Southern Metropolis Daily report yesterday, quoting police sources.

    The detailed plan is still under consideration, the report said.

    The measure is being considered after traffic efficiency on Xinzhou Road, which piloted Shenzhen’s first reversible lane a month ago, was improved.

    Shenzhen police implemented a reversible lane section on Xinzhou Road between Lianhua Road and Hongli Road in October. The efficiency of southbound vehicles turning left at those intersections was improved.

    Police said reversible lanes will be considered for suitable roads as one of the measures to improve traffic and reduce congestion.

    Xinzhou Road is suitable for introducing a reversible lane because the amount of southbound vehicles that use the road each hour in the morning is more than double the amount of northbound vehicles, said police.

    “The traffic efficiency at the two sections had been improved by 2.7 and 5 percent, respectively, after the reversible lane was introduced,” said Liu Yi, an officer with Shenzhen traffic police’s monitoring department.

    Statistics showed the vehicles passing through the intersections at Hongli and Xinzhou roads reached 9,442 on Oct. 16, about 400 more than the number on Sept. 16. The number of vehicles turning left at the intersection of Hongli and Xinzhou roads increased by 43 percent per hour from 1,079 to 1,499.

    A reversible lane — also known as a counter-flow lane or a tidal lane — allows traffic to travel in either direction depending on conditions. Typically, overhead traffic lights and street signs notify drivers about which lanes are open and closed.

    Drivers who enter reversible lanes in the wrong direction will be punished. The driver of a light vehicle will be fined 200 yuan (US$33) and have three penalty points added to their driver’s license, while the driver of a heavy vehicle will be fined 1,000 yuan and have three penalty points added, according to police.(Han Ximin)