Han Ximin

ximhan@126.com

SHENZHEN traffic police fined a total of 2,347 drivers in the past week for illegally parking, or picking up or dropping off passengers, in restricted yellow-grid areas.

Yellow-grid areas are designated at intersections, entrances and exits to ease congestion.

Among the violations, 807 drivers were fined up to 2,000 yuan (US$295) for illegally parking and 1,034 drivers each were fined 300 yuan for entering the restricted area and failing to exit within 10 seconds due to congestion. Another 507 drivers were fined 200 yuan and had three penalty points added to their licenses for intentionally driving slowly, waiting inside their car or dropping off and picking up passengers, according to the police.

Police have been imposing the stricter measures, such as a 1,000-yuan fine for yellow-grid violations, since July 3. If the illegal parking causes congestion or a traffic accident, the fine will double to 2,000 yuan.

If a driver is caught dropping off or picking up passengers on a road outside of the yellow-grid areas, the driver will face a fine of up to 2,000 yuan.

“The drivers will be treated as ‘occupying a yellow grid while waiting for traffic,’ and will be fined 300 yuan if they don’t move within five seconds, or fail to exit the restricted area within 10 seconds,” said Xue Weipeng, deputy section chief with the Shenzhen traffic police commanding department, in an interview Tuesday.