The first HOV lane officially opened to traffic on April 18. Image: southcn.com
Starting from August 8, both surveillance cameras and traffic police officers on patrol will monitor vehicles using HOV lanes. Image: xinhua.com
Shenzhen is the first city in China to adopt high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes in order to tackle rising congestion and pollution.
Starting from August 8, both surveillance cameras and traffic police officers on patrol will monitor vehicles using HOV lanes. Drivers who misuse the carpool lane will be fined 300 yuan. Violations will also be documented on the personal credit records of drivers, which will affect areas such as employment and obtaining a loan, according to the traffic authorities in Shenzhen.
The first HOV lane officially opened to traffic on April 18, on Binhai Avenue, a major link connecting the city's Nanshan and Futian districts. Small vehicles, with no more than nine seats, must carry at least two occupants including the driver in order to drive in the lane between 7:30 am to 9:30 am, and from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm on weekdays.
Statistics from the traffic police show that the number of vehicles using the HOV lane without passengers has fallen by 11 percent since April 18, while the number of vehicles carrying at least two people on the HOV lane has climbed by 17 percent.
