Shanghai has introduced a "traffic safety QR code" system to curb traffic violations by couriers, enhancing road safety and tightening surveillance of the booming delivery sector.

The initiative responds to growing public concern over reckless driving behaviors among delivery riders and aims to hold courier companies accountable for the conduct of their employees on the road.

Color-coded green, yellow, and red, the traffic safety QR code reflects each rider's violation history and is directly linked to their job eligibility. New riders must possess a green code, while those marked red may be suspended or blacklisted.

The safety code is based on a management system developed by the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Security. The system aggregates records of traffic accidents and violations involving couriers throughout the city, which allows the authorities to identify non-compliant enterprises, accident-prone service points, and high-risk riders, enabling targeted enforcement.

Since the safety code's launch in April, more than 400 riders have been blacklisted.

Delivery stations and platform enterprises are also assessed based on their safety performance. The system assigns a one-to-five-star rating to delivery stations (with five stars being the highest), while platform companies are designated either high-risk or low-risk.

This year, traffic violations and fatalities involving delivery electric bikes have decreased by 14.8 percent and 42.9 percent, respectively.

Shanghai has also revised its self-disciplinary convention for the courier industry, linking performance evaluations to safety ratings.

The convention stipulates that a delivery station's business performance grade cannot exceed its safety grade.

This measure aims to encourage companies to optimize delivery time algorithms and route planning, thereby improving riders' safety records.

Source: Shanghai Observer