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Electric Delivery Vehicles to Be Monitored by GPS

Source:CHINA DAILY Published:2019-11-01 10:37

Electric vehicles with two or three wheels used for takeout food and express deliveries in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, will have GPS positioning equipment installed to help monitor traffic violations.

The vehicles will be standardized and given serial numbers, and drivers will wear similar uniforms, according to the local government.

"Once the GPS equipment is installed, a database of the vehicles and drivers will be synchronized with traffic police systems," an unnamed official with the local government told the Yangcheng Evening News.

Electrified vehicles are not allowed on downtown roads, according to the regulation.

"However, they are widely used in the takeout food delivery service, causing growing concerns for traffic safety in downtown areas," the official said.

Under the current regulation, drivers are fined a maximum of 50 yuan ($7) if they are found using electric two-wheelers against regulations.

According to local traffic police, some food delivery drivers often violate traffic rules by running red lights, traveling on the wrong side of the road and occupying roads for cars.

"When I'm driving, I'm often annoyed by such two-wheeled vehicles," said Huang Chunqiang, a white-collar worker in the city's booming Zhujiang New Town business area.

"They mostly use electric vehicles that swerve through traffic and along sidewalks, and park pretty much wherever a delivery is to be made."

The local government has teamed up with Meituan, one of China's biggest food-delivery companies, to conduct a pilot enforcement program in the city's downtown Yuexiu and Tianhe districts, asking all delivery drivers to wear standard uniforms with employee numbers.

Drivers who are caught breaking traffic rules by means of electronic monitoring will be fined and receive compulsory lessons from their companies.

In Guangzhou, there are more than 65,000 employees working in the takeout food delivery industry, according to the local government.

Editor:Zhao Xichen