Chinese City Gets Serious About Traffic Enforcement . . . Maybe a Little Too Serious

A program that allows undercover inspectors to keep 80 percent of any fines proves (un)remarkably effective.

1 minute read

August 25, 2012, 11:00 AM PDT

By rachelproctormay


Chinese cities, like cities anywhere, are under constant pressure to find revenue sources for municipal services, with human nature rendering traffic offenses a predictably reliable source. One Chinese city came under fire this week for doing so with an exceptional degree of vigor.

The Xiaoxiang Morning Post reported that Shaoyang City had hired some 1,000 plainclothes inspectors to issue traffic citations, with the inspectors pocketing 80% of any fines charged. Not surprisingly, the investigation found inspectors citing even trivial offenses, such as straying into a pedestrian zone while stopped at an intersection.

"The program is one of many that have cropped up across China, ranging from heavy fines on business owners for arbitrary infringements, to garnishing the wages of teachers, that local governments are using to prop up their finances," notes reporter Annie Wu.

Thanks to Rachel Proctor May

Thursday, August 23, 2012 in The Epoch Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation