SHENZHEN traffic police had issued a total of 3,913 tickets for illegal parking between Thursday and Saturday since heavier fines were imposed in the “strict area,” the first of its type in the city.

    The fines include 645 tickets for 1,000 yuan (US$161), 860 tickets for 500 yuan and 472 tickets for 200 yuan, the police announced on their official microblog Sunday.

    Traffic police since Thursday implemented stricter rules and heavier fines of up to 2,000 yuan for parking violations inside the “strict area” by deploying more than 500 officers to patrol for violations each day between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.

    The “strict area” refers to an area where parking laws are slated to be enforced more strictly, and is enclosed by Bao’an Road in the east, Xinzhou Road in the west, Beihuan Boulevard in the north and a border road with Hong Kong in the south.

    Shenzhen adopted a four-tier punishment scheme for illegal roadside parking this year, with 200 yuan, 500 yuan, 1,000 yuan and 2,000 yuan tickets.

    Four drivers were fined 2,000 yuan — the highest fine in the country for illegal parking — in the past two weeks.

    Yet the highest fine in China for illegal parking also drew criticism from netizens, who thought it was too harsh.

    In a survey by sznews.com with 200 respondents, 60 percent regarded the 2,000-yuan fine as too high, with 39 percent considering it appropriate.

    “A heavier fine isn’t the way to relieve congestion. In the long run, the city needs a long-term plan to relieve congestion,” a netizen said.

    Some thought the fine is appropriate because littering results in a HK$3,000 fine in Hong Kong and the streets are comparatively litter-free there.

    Li Guangqun, head of the legislative affairs office of Shenzhen traffic police, said the 2,000-yuan fine is now imposed only on parking violations that have caused serious traffic jams involving more than 20 vehicles or lasting for more than 15 minutes.    (Han Ximin)