The 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE)
took place in Shanghai on November 5.
To ensure the safety, order, and smooth flow of urban road traffic during the CIIE, the Jing’an Branch of Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau (Jing’an Branch for short) implemented a pilot traffic management mode focusing on “small incision + point-to-point management” in certain sections of Yan’an Road, a major east-west artery near the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) (NECC (Shanghai) for short). This measure aimed to create a “3-minute fast circle” for handling simple traffic accidents, effectively enhancing the traffic capacity of urban trunk roads and reducing congestion caused by minor traffic accidents.
3-Minute vehicle evacuation
Efficient handling of simple accidents
At 09:42 on November 2, the traffic control center of the Jing’an Branch spotted a two-car accident near the Shimen Road intersection on West Yan’an Road during a video patrol. Gong Wentao, a policeman from the Jing’an Traffic Police Detachment who was patrolling along the West Yan’an Road, promptly arrived at the scene and relocated the vehicles involved to Shimen No.1 Road.
The entire process, from the arrival of the traffic police to the removal of the vehicles involved, took approximately three minutes. Subsequently, evidence collection, liability determination, and insurance matters were swiftly addressed.
Gong Wentao said,
“During the CIIE, additional police posts were established along Yan’an Road, particularly near the Yan’an Road and Shimen Road intersections and the Yan’an Road and Huashan Road intersections. We could reach the scene within three minutes and promptly handle simple traffic accidents by relocating affected vehicles to nearby areas that had no impact on traffic”.
The Jing’an police reported that in the past when accidents or vehicle breakdowns occurred along Yan’an Road, it would typically take about six minutes for the police officer from the nearest site assigned by the Jing’an Branch Traffic Command Center to arrive at the scene after receiving a distress call from the driver.
In response, the Jing’an Traffic Police Detachment introduced the “small incision + point-to-point” traffic management mode. The detachment increased the number of police stationed along Yan’an Road, doubling the previous presence. This approach guaranteed the reinforcement of police personnel at all intersections along Yan’an Road. The “small incision” dispatch was streamlined, with a unified command from the Jing’an Branch Traffic Command Center, avoiding conflicts in accident response.
During the implementation of the “small incisions for major roads” strategy, police relied on real-time observation and point-to-point patrols at crucial intersections to swiftly handle simple traffic accidents and alleviate road congestion. As a result, the time taken to handle such accidents was reduced from six minutes to less than three minutes.
Pan Dehua, deputy commander of the first brigade of the Jing’an Traffic Police Detachment, expressed that after an accident, drivers typically assess the situation before contacting the police. This evaluation process considering factors like material damage and driver experience prolongs the time before the alarm is raised and affects the traffic flow of vehicles.
By implementing a series of measures, the resolution time for simple traffic accidents was significantly reduced to less than three minutes. This had a notable impact, particularly on major roads with high traffic volume, such as Yan’an Road. The traffic control department could promptly locate and dispatch the officers from the nearest area to approach the scene, thus minimizing the impact of accidents, preventing traffic congestion, and maintaining regional traffic circulation.
An improved measure
The “small incision” strategy in coordination with near business districts to redirect traffic
Considering the high concentration of traffic around business districts along Yan’an Road, the Jing’an Traffic Police Detachment has established coordination with these business districts, especially on weekends and holidays, to redirect traffic congestion at the entrances of shopping malls.
For instance, on West Nanjing Road and North Shaanxi Road, where there is only one lane for vehicles to go straight or turn right, vehicles turning right are often impeded by those waiting for a red light to go straight during peak hours.
Through the “small incision” management mode, on-duty traffic police officers, guided by instructions from the Jing’an Branch Traffic Command Center, facilitate the forward movement of vehicles going straight and optimize space utilization to clear the backlog of vehicles, thereby ensuring smooth traffic flow. These “small incision” posts are also deployed at crucial intersections such as Huashan Road, Zhenning Road, and Nanjing Road during peak hours to maintain consistent staffing and alleviate vehicle congestion near business districts along Yan’an Road resulting from the concentration of vehicles entering shopping mall parking lots on weekends.
Furthermore, recognizing the public’s increased travel demands and the higher risks to traffic safety during the CIIE, the Jing’an Traffic Police Detachment conducted daily research and dispatching. This included setting up over 20 duty points on key road sections, deploying more than 50 police officers, and dispatching over 40 police cars. They focused on controlling the main arteries and monitoring traffic flow on a micro level, aiming to create a favorable road traffic environment for the CIIE.