Traffic cops to remain in the 'dark'
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-04-18 08:57

Despite complaints from drivers about policemen hiding behind street corners to spot traffic violations, Beijing Traffic Management Bureau officials said recently the authority will not call off the special service to prevent and control accidents.

A traffic policeman files a penalty document for a traffic violator. Despite mass complaint Beijing Traffic Management Bureau continues to grant traffic police the privilege to 'work in dark.' [ynet]

"Policemen are entitled to maintain traffic order in the street, and so far no law specifically prohibits the officers from monitoring while hiding in the shadow, which is proved an efficient way to reduce violations," said Zhao Jiqiang, the Bureau's legal affairs department director.

The practice began decades ago in Beijing when drivers tended to break traffic rules indiscriminately when they saw no police in the street. Violations were especially frequent at crossroads and no U-turn zones, which often led to serious accidents or traffic jams.

The police learned to hide to catch the violators, even though drivers, taxi drivers in particular, criticized the measure, calling it "setting a trap."

Zhao defended the practice, calling it "the most effective measure" to frighten law breakers and help drivers cultivate the habit of obeying traffic laws.

Traffic violations cause 85 percent of the road accidents in Beijing, said the official, who added that the work "in the dark" will continue.

Close

Britney Spears' baby is a girl Cornered girl bashed in school violence Miss USA crowned in Baltimore

Today's Top News     Top Life News
China tells Japan: Take 'concrete actions' on history         PM refutes EU arms embargo comments         Olympic Games advisers win new positions         Australia likely to grant MES to China         People urged to maintain social stability         Deaths spark calls for better safety methods	Traffic cops to remain in the 'dark'       Shanghai metro screens stop suicides       Brain surgery for drug addicts banned       Jackson accuser's mom admits earlier lies       Right-wing writer angers World War II comfort women       Chinese girls lost in UK may be forced into prostitution