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)