Shenzhen will resume the ban on nonlocally registered vehicles running on roads during rush hours, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on workdays, starting from July 23, Shenzhen traffic police announced yesterday.
The nonlocal vehicles entering Shenzhen during rush hours going to Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, border checkpoints with Hong Kong or other transport terminals are allowed during rush hours if they follow the designated routes.
Drivers of vehicles violating the ban will be given warnings on the first two violations and will be fined 300 yuan (US$42) and given three penalty points from the third time.
Shenzhen traffic police temporarily lifted the ban on nonlocally registered vehicles Feb. 8 as part of the efforts to fight COVID-19. Allowing nonlocal vehicles on the roads has helped some people avoid taking public transport to reduce the risk of infection. But with the resumption of work and production, traffic congestions are becoming an increasing problem, especially during weekday rush hours.
Police data shows there are around 2.7 million vehicles on the road each day. Police receive around 400 reports of congestion on average a day. During morning and evening rush hours, the congestion was 106.5 percent and 112.6 percent, respectively, over the level in 2019.