SHENZHEN traffic police will adopt flexible measures with leniency over minor traffic violations during the seven-day Spring Festival holiday that starts today, the authority has said.

Minor violations that pose a threat to driving safety by hanging decorations inside cars, or mounting things that block the vision of drivers, will be given warnings instead of being punished, a press release from the traffic police authority said Tuesday.

Nonlocal vehicles will be exempt from punishment for the first violation that was supposed to include a maximum 500-yuan (US$77.7) fine. Also, no penalty points will be added to the drivers’ licenses.

When a traffic accident happens, drivers who move their vehicles to the roadside without affecting traffic will be exempt from punishment.

Those who failed to conduct annual inspections for their vehicles if the existing inspection certificate has expired will be ordered to suspend driving them but will not have them impounded.

Drivers who illegally park on roadsides could be exempt from punishment if they return to their cars within 10 minutes. If the driver is inside the car, there will be no punishment.

Pedestrians and e-bike riders involved in minor violations will be exempt from punishment if they voluntarily maintain traffic orders or copy down the traffic rules.

The Spring Festival will see more traffic this year as more people are staying in the city for the holiday instead of returning to their hometowns.

To reduce congestion, the parking lots of Lianhua Hill Park will be closed between today and Feb. 17. Police will designate one lane of Hongli Road for temporary parking.

The expressways will be toll free during the holiday. The city’s transportation bureau expects a peak for returning vehicles will hit Monday, the fourth lunar day of the Chinese New Year.

Business centers and tourist attractions in Bao’an, Nanshan, Yantian, Futian and Luohu districts and Dapeng New Area are expected to be crowded.

Cultural facilities and A-level tourist attractions require reservations, according to the transportation bureau.

(Han Ximin)