Public security authorities reform continuously in traffic management

Public security authorities have continually implemented reforms in traffic management, introducing over 70 measures over the past five years, benefiting over 800 million people and saving them over 70 billion yuan ($9.7 billion) in processing costs, Li Guozhong, a spokesman for the Ministry of Public Security, said on Monday.

Currently, tasks such as replacing or renewing driver's licenses can be completed within ten minutes. In most places, the time for a vehicle's registration has been reduced from 3–4 hours to 30 minutes, he said. New measures also allowed over 100 million people to enjoy the convenience of cross-provincial examinations, handling violations, vehicle inspections, and license renewals.

Video processing of minor traffic accidents has been piloted in 250 cities, handling over 4.8 million accidents, significantly reducing the waiting time at the scene, alleviating traffic congestion, and lowering the probability of secondary accidents.

Besides, three new measures have been introduced to facilitate the handling of driver's licenses for Chinese citizens abroad. The policies for the northbound travel for Hong Kong and Macao vehicles programs, along with the signing of a mutual recognition and exchange agreement for driver's licenses with Macao, have benefited 36,000 Macao residents.

Intensified efforts were also made to manage risks, ensure safety, and maintain smooth traffic flow, achieving a steady decline in road traffic accidents nationwide, he said.

In 2023, there were 436 major road traffic accidents resulting in the deaths of three or more people in a single incident nationwide, a decrease of 12 percent compared to 2019.

The ministry has formulated and revised 10 supporting regulations, 14 work norms, and 85 technical standards to address the challenges of road traffic safety management through legal and systematic approaches.

Public security authorities have worked with relevant departments to ensure that 32,000 substandard and non-compliant enterprise vehicles are withdrawn from the market on schedule. They have also intensified investigations into traffic accidents, holding companies accountable, thereby enforcing the implementation of safety responsibilities.

In-depth investigations and rectifications of rural road hazards have also been conducted, addressing over 4,690 hazard points nationwide, leading to a significant reduction in traffic accidents on dangerous road sections, he said.

In terms of railway management, Li noted that since 2023, the police have continuously organized special actions to address and manage prominent problems like seat hogging and harassment, leading to a significant improvement in railway security.

Theft, fraud, and other property-related criminal activities on nearly 10,000 passenger trains have remained in single digits every day, and common issues such as seat hogging, smoking in high-speed trains, and drunken disturbances have decreased by 60 percent compared to five years ago, according to the ministry.