A public hearing on two hotly contested traffic laws will be
held by the Beijing Municipal People's Congress (BMPC) on Friday,
September 3. It is the first legislative hearing ever organized by
the BMPC, the municipality's legislative body.
The first item is the driver liability law, which places
responsibility for damage compensation on drivers of motor vehicles
in all accidents involving pedestrians or non-motorized vehicles,
regardless of other circumstances.
Many drivers believe the regulation is unfair and will encourage
more pedestrians to disobey traffic safety laws, but some residents
say it will help protect people of low income and low social
status.
The other item on the agenda is a law that forbids electrical
bicycle and mobile wheelchair drivers from carrying passengers and
only allows preschool children be carried on bicycles.
Some disabled people and parents of primary school students
oppose the move.
The BMPC Standing Committee has received 332 applications for
the public hearing through e-mail and letters.
Applicants include company managers, workers, government staff,
lawyers, teachers, taxi drivers, medical staff, students and
returned overseas students. They include both drivers and
non-drivers.
Some of the applicants have a strong personal interest in the
issues, including people who have been involved in traffic
accidents, disabled people and parents.
Beijing permanent residents, people living in Beijing without
permanent residence status and residents living in other regions
are among the applicants.
The list of selected participants will not be fixed until the
end of this month.
Drafts of the law were released to the public earlier this month
and opinions invited. Local legislators received nearly 9,000
responses.
The national road traffic law, which was approved by the
National People's Congress, went into effect in May. Local
governments must develop specific implementation regulations.
(China Daily August 26, 2004)