COURIERS will be banned from delivery services once they rack up a maximum of 12 penalty points a quarter for violating traffic regulations, according to new measures taken by the traffic police.

The traffic safety management of the delivery and logistics industries will be strengthened starting from New Year’s Day, according to a source from a conference held by Shenzhen Traffic Police Bureau on Dec. 23.

The police will set up a comprehensive management system that includes entry training, penalty points, forbidding employment and penalty point elimination through training. A traffic safety information card will be issued to staffers along with their vehicles to facilitate this management.

Riders must attend trainings provided by the police and offer voluntary services for traffic management before starting their new work. After that, a penalty point system will become applicable to the riders, and in the case of traffic violations, riders will receive certain penalty points in addition to the penalties already stipulated by such regulations.

Penalty points will be recorded on the traffic safety information card, and it will be cleared and recalculated every three months. Chen Yun, a member of the Shenzhen traffic police, said that 12 penalty points will be given for severe violations, such as resisting law enforcement or driving under the influence, nine penalty points will be given for behaviors like using plates illegally or failure to submit to penalties, six penalty points will be given for red light offenses and driving after drinking, and three penalty points will be given for behaviors like driving in the wrong lane or not wearing helmets, uniforms or reflective vests. “The points can be removed by offering voluntary services,” Chen added.

Based on the severity of the offense and the penalty points applied, riders will be temporarily suspended from receiving new orders for 3-15 days. Once 12 penalty points are accumulated, the rider will be forbidden from future employment by delivery services.

It was also learned that companies will be penalized if they employ a blacklisted rider, and the police will regularly share related information to companies and the public.

(Chen Siqi)