FORTY sets of facial recognition systems will be on duty to check for traffic violations by pedestrians, couriers and disqualified drivers.
The systems will cover different violations, with 10 sets at intersections to check for violations by pedestrians and e-bike riders, 10 sets to check for violations by delivery persons illegally using motorist lanes and 20 sets to check for drivers who have been disqualified from driving.
The systems will be put into use Monday and law enforcement will begin May 1, after a one-week grace period, according to police.
“The use of facial recognition technologies has solved long unsolvable difficulties faced by police by shifting the focus of law enforcement from tracking vehicles to tracking violators. It marks a new facial law enforcement era,” said Xu Wei, director of the city’s traffic police bureau, in an interview Thursday.
Shenzhen started piloting facial tech in April 2017 to check for violators among pedestrians running red lights at the intersection of Xinzhou Road and Lianhua Road.
The system can distinguish and recognize facial features of violators and run a comparison through the databank. At present, police have set up a databank of employees of delivery and courier services.
The couriers of food and parcel delivery businesses often violate rules, such as using motorist lanes and running red lights, as they are required to finish their deliveries within a designated time.
On March 2, a courier surnamed Yun ran a red light and caused a taxi to lose control and kill a person on the safety island.
After the violators are captured, police will verify the violations and text the information to the violators.
If a courier violates a rule while passing a crossing on an e-bike, the courier will be fined 100 yuan (US$15.92). If he walks the e-bike through the red light, the fine will be 20 yuan. If the face of the courier isn’t recognized due to a helmet, police will send the information about the violation to the company to confirm the violator’s identity.
The program will also monitor dump trucks and vehicles that are missing license plates or using fake ones.