Can vehicles with Hu C license plates currently drive on the Outer Ring Road?
4 Answers
Vehicles with Hu C license plates are not allowed on the Outer Ring Road, and their travel is restricted within the Outer Ring Road area. Motor vehicles displaying "Hu C" license plates are prohibited from driving on the Middle Ring Road (from Yanggao South Road Overpass to Huaxia Elevated Road), Huaxia Elevated Road, and the following designated roads: along the Outer Ring Tunnel (including the ground roads on both sides, Taihe Road) - S20 Outer Ring Expressway (west of the Outer Ring Tunnel to Yanggao South Road Overpass, including the ground roads on both sides, Taihe Road, Taihe West Road to Gutai Road), etc. The specific traffic restrictions are as follows: 1. Motor vehicles displaying "Hu C" license plates are prohibited from driving on the Middle Ring Road (from Yanggao South Road Overpass to Huaxia Elevated Road), Huaxia Elevated Road, and the following designated roads: along the Outer Ring Tunnel (including the ground roads on both sides, Taihe Road) - S20 Outer Ring Expressway (west of the Outer Ring Tunnel to Yanggao South Road Overpass, including the ground roads on both sides, Taihe Road, Taihe West Road to Gutai Road) - Yanggao South Road - Longyang Road Overpass - Longyang Road - Longdong Avenue - Jinqiao Road - Jinqiao Overpass - Yanggao Middle Road - Yanggao North Road - Yanggao North First Road, and the area enclosed by the Yangtze River shoreline and Huangpu River shoreline (including the aforementioned roads). Small passenger taxis displaying "Hu C" license plates are allowed to travel on the S20 Outer Ring Expressway within the aforementioned area. 2. On the eastbound mainline of Luoshan Elevated Road (from Longdong Avenue to S20 Outer Ring Expressway), north of the Gaoke West (Middle) Road exit ramp, small passenger vehicles with "Hu C" license plates are prohibited from driving at all times. 3. In the Pudong area, the Hu C restricted zone also includes the Middle Ring Road (Pudong section) and the Resort Elevated Road (from Middle Ring Road to S2 Hulu Expressway).
As a veteran driver with over a decade of experience in Shanghai, I know all about the Hu C license plates. These plates are designated for suburban areas and are separated from the city proper by a boundary line. The Outer Ring Road is that red line, and the entire stretch is off-limits. I've seen many cases of inexperienced drivers accidentally crossing and getting fined, especially around the intersection of the West Outer Ring and South Outer Ring. With the high coverage of electronic police nowadays, there's basically no chance of getting away with it. If you absolutely must enter the city for urgent matters, either take the subway or ask a friend with a Shanghai license plate for help. Suburban plates come with suburban rules—don't look for shortcuts. It's not worth getting points deducted and fined 200 yuan. Make it a habit to regularly check traffic maps for restricted area alerts—that's what matters most.
Attention to new owners with Hu C license plates: never drive on the Outer Ring Road. After studying Shanghai's road management regulations, I found that the boundary of the restricted area for Hu C plates is the inner side of the Outer Ring Road. Simply put, all ring roads, including elevated and ground sections, are off-limits. Last year, traffic authorities released real-time monitoring data showing that over 60% of violations involved Hu C plates entering restricted zones. It's advisable to use navigation apps to set your license plate and avoid restricted areas, especially during rainy days or evening rush hours. The Hu C plate was originally designed to alleviate urban congestion, and breaking the rules only worsens traffic. If you really need to enter the city center, opting for public transportation is a more reliable choice.
Shanghai locals all know that Hu C license plates are strictly prohibited from entering the city center. I've lived in Jiading for five years with a Hu C plate, and my driving range has been limited to outer areas like Baoshan and Jiading outside the outer ring road. The outer ring is like an impenetrable wall, with every underpass and tunnel packed with surveillance cameras. A traffic police friend told me the system now automatically detects Hu C plates—the moment your tires touch the outer ring road, an alarm is triggered. Once, I tried taking a shortcut in a hurry and was stopped 500 meters from the exit. The combined points deduction and fine added up to the cost of 20 taxi rides. My advice to drivers: pay close attention to the blue prohibition signs—the ones with a red circle and diagonal slash—marking the outer ring boundary.
