Nanjing’s commuters are up in arms in recent days over new regulations which strictly limit the speeds at which buses may pass through our city’s busy intersections. It’s got people asking should the safety of law breakers compromise journey times for the law abiding?
The new regulations, in line with some other cities, came into effect on 1 August and were intended to add a layer of safety to those hotspots for accidents; intersections.
As alert readers will know, this is where 30 percent of traffic accidents in Nanjing take place. The culprits? Jaywalking pedestrians, drivers to whom “give way” means an act of benevolence, “waimai guys” looking to shave seconds off their delivery times, seniors who’ve never before seen a “red man”, etc.
To the infuriation of trailing drivers and passengers on board, buses in Nanjing have now been reduced to near-crawl speeds through intersections.
By “near crawl”, we mean a maximum of 20 kilometres per hour (km/h) if travelling straight on, 15 km/h if turning left and just 10 km/h when turning right.
10 km/h. That’s a pathetic jog. Anything slower, push bikes start falling over.
And based on The Nanjinger’s sweaty research this afternoon, most buses were observing, or were close to observing, the new regulations.
Our city’s commuters have not been slow to voice their displeasure. Some have said that taking a bus now “is slower than riding a bicycle”. Another said, “I want get off and push”.
In response to the criticism, Nanjing Public Transport Group posted an apology on their official Weibo account on 3 August. The post read, “We apologise and will optimise measures to improve operational efficiency”, reports The Paper.
Nanjing’s bus drivers are also now advised that if the duration of the green light ahead is less than 15 seconds, they should come to a stop in a timely manner and wait out another cycle of the traffic lights.
By way of penalty, if a driver violates the regulations four times within 12 months, their employment contract may be terminated.