"If police take a firmer hand, more people will obey traffic laws," Ye Junyi, a member of the Shanghai Committee of the China National Democratic Construction Association, said yesterday.

Ye and several colleagues from the association - one of the country's eight democratic parties - delivered a proposal on "enhancing traffic law implementation" to the Shanghai Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference during its ongoing annual plenary session.

Those backing the proposal are fed up with motorists who endanger each other and pedestrians and with jaywalkers who cause traffic snarls. In addition to the call for a black mark in the personal records of traffic law violators, the proposal writers also want higher fines and better enforcement.

The local committee of the CPPCC has the right to make suggestions or criticisms to government departments, which must then respond.

Ye said he is concerned that some law-breaking motorists whose licenses have been taken by police were able to immediately restore their right to drive through special connections with authorities.

"It's a huge challenge to every member of society," said Ye, noting that jaywalkers, errant cyclists and law-breaking drivers can be found at every corner of the city.

He was especially incensed at motorists who fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, singling out cabbies as among the most flagrant violators.

Ye said the black mark on a resident's personal file might be effective in controlling behavior "because employers don't like lawless staff."

Ye and his colleagues are calling on the government to follow the practice in its own hiring.

Their idea produced a cool initial reception from the local law enforcement community, however. A spokesman for the city's general team of traffic police called the black mark idea "ridiculous."

"We don't have enough manpower to stop and record every jaywalker or every law-breaking driver," said the official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity.