E-tags for taxis

    SHENZHEN’S traffic police will fine cab drivers who intentionally damage or dismount electronic tags from January next year.

    All taxis in the city, around 17,000 in total, have had tags mounted on them for the “taxi identification system.” Those without the ID device are regarded as fake taxis. Those drivers who damage or dismount the tags will be fined 500 yuan (US$72).

    Toxic school track

    TEN schools have removed their synthetic track surfaces, which tested positive for excessive chemicals, according to a report by the city’s education bureau to a meeting of the city’s legislature Wednesday.

    The city unveiled strict standards and procedures for the construction of synthetic tracks in schools after some schools were reported to have used substandard chemical materials in sports ground construction. Thirty new and renovated schools in 2016 all met the new standards.

    Careless man

    A CARELESS passenger mistakenly took another traveler’s backpack and left his bag that contained 70,000 yuan to a woman surnamed Chen at Shenzhen North Railway Station on Sunday.

    Chen reported the mistake to security inspectors, who later found the driver’s license of the man, surnamed Liu, in the bag with the cash. Liu, who had gotten on a train, called the railway station after he found that he had misplaced his bag.

    Police reminded travelers to pay extra attention to their luggage during the busy Spring Festival transport season.

    Volunteers

    SHENZHEN has a total of 18,000 volunteers serving in the cultural sector. The volunteers are registered in 121 teams and serve at libraries, museums and performances.

    Service extension

    METRO operators will extend service for the coming Christmas and New Year holidays.

    On Christmas Eve, Saturday, service will be extended for one hour to midnight. On Dec. 30, service will be extended to 11:30 p.m. On Dec. 31, the last day of the year, service will be extended by 90 minutes to 12:30 a.m. On the first day of the New Year, service will be extended to midnight.

    Community buses

    PINGSHAN New Area opened four community bus routes Thursday, linking Kengzi, Xinxiu, Yanziling, Jinsha and Shatian communities with school areas such as Guangzu Middle School and Pingshan Foreign Language School and industrial zones.

    Bus B950 runs between Kengzi Bus Terminal and Jinhui Road Bus Terminal. The B951 route links Yanziling Community and Ma’anling Village Bus Terminal. B952 connects Pingshan Zhongshan Primary School Bus Terminal and Pingshan Railway Station Terminal. B953 is a circular route around Mafengshan Park.

    WeChat porn

    A MAN surnamed Guo was sentenced to three years in jail recently for making a profit by setting up a WeChat group to spread photos and videos with pornographic content. Guo set up the group in March and started to charge 15 yuan (US$2.16) for a membership April 14. He profited 6,000 yuan before he was caught.

    Qianhai procuratorate

    THE city’s legislature approved the establishment of Qianhai-Shekou Free Trade Area (FTA) People’s Procuratorate at its 12th meeting Wednesday. The FTA procuratorate is an external agency of Shenzhen People’s Procuratorate.