Han Ximin

    ximhan@126.com

    DRIVERS in Shenzhen can now register as a star driver through the facial recognition function added to Alipay.

    Drivers can register using facial recognition for authentication by logging onto the Alipay app, finding the Urban Service feature, and then reading through the registration notice. Otherwise, drivers can still submit materials online for police officers to review.

    “With facial recognition, the applicant can complete registration within five minutes, but regular online document registration takes about three days for police to review the materials,” said Li Qiuxing, a police officer with the Intelligence Section of the Commanding Department of Shenzhen traffic police, yesterday.

    The introduction of facial recognition marks another step in the cooperation between Shenzhen traffic police and Sesame Credit Management to simplify its business flow.

    Shenzhen traffic police introduced an electronic certificate, which is a unique QR code that is generated when someone registers as a “star driver,” on a mobile phone app last year. To make using the e-certificate more convenient for drivers, police have put it in the Cards and Coupons category on the Alipay app’s homescreen. Drivers can access it by using their fingerprints or the PIN code for their Alipay account.

    Shenzhen traffic police introduced the Star Driver platform in August 2015 and upgraded it six times so drivers could utilize benefits such as checking traffic violations, paying fines, and applying for annual vehicle inspections in different cities.

    The platform now has 2.35 million registered users. As of Monday, registered drivers had handled 20,397 traffic violations, paid fines for more than 1.41 million cases and made 122,445 reservations through the platform, which can be accessed through the Shenzhen traffic police app, WeChat and Alipay.

    The two sides will expand the facial recognition system to other fields, improve the drivers’ credit system, and tighten management over app-based bike users, app-based car drivers and their operators this year.