Shanghai street rider fined after noise complaints from weary residents
- First penalty under new regulation to tackle vehicle noise pollution
- Late night roar of motorbikes and sports cars a nuisance in many Chinese cities
Shanghai authorities have handed out the first fine to a “street blaster”, the name given to motorcycle enthusiasts who thunder through residential areas at night, often on modified machines.
Traffic police acted on a complaint from annoyed residents and fined a motorcyclist, surnamed Jiang, who roared along Xujiahui Road in the early hours of December 1 under a regulation targeting vehicle noise pollution which took effect on that day.
According to online news portal Thepaper.cn, Jiang was also given a 15-day detention for having a forged licence plate on his vehicle. He was fined 200 yuan (US$29) for noise pollution and a further 5,000 yuan for the fake plate.
He was also found to have run four red lights and modified the motorcycle, bringing his total fines to 6,500 yuan for all offences. In addition, police seized his motorbike and revoked his licence until he passes a written test on the traffic rules.
The late night roar of motorbikes and sports cars has long been a nuisance for city residents on the mainland. But offenders are rarely punished because they often use fake licence plates and drive on roads without surveillance cameras.
Under the new municipal regulation, motor vehicles designed for nine people or fewer with a sound above 80 decibels are banned from Shanghai’s streets between 9pm and 7am.
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Other Chinese cities are also grappling with the problem of street blasters. In July, police seized four motorbikes in downtown Taiyuan, capital of the northern province of Shanxi, following numerous complaints from residents.
The owners of the vehicles managed to escape capture, however, Taiyuan Evening News reported.
