What are the 2020 Shanghai Elevated Road Traffic Restriction Hours?
2 Answers
2020 Shanghai Elevated Road Traffic Restriction Hours are from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Friday, excluding national holidays. Restricted vehicles: Passenger cars with non-Shanghai license plates, passenger cars with temporary license plates, unoccupied taxis, and passenger cars driven by drivers in the probationary period are prohibited from passing. Restricted road sections include: Yan'an Elevated Road, North-South Elevated Road, Yixian Elevated Road, Humin Elevated Road, Middle Ring Road, Huaxia Elevated Road, Luoshan Elevated Road, Resort Area Elevated Road, Inner Ring Elevated Road, Nanpu Bridge, Lupu Bridge, and Yan'an East Road Tunnel.
I remember driving to and from work in Shanghai in 2020, and the elevated road restrictions were particularly annoying. On weekdays, from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, vehicles with non-local license plates were not allowed on the elevated roads. Since I drove a car with a non-local plate, I had to wake up early every day to take the surface roads to avoid a 200-yuan fine and 3 penalty points. That year, I often got stuck on the Yan'an Elevated Road section, where traffic was extremely heavy. I’d advise local friends to apply for a Shanghai license plate to avoid these restrictions or simply take Metro Line 10—it’s convenient and saves time. Non-local vehicles were mainly restricted during peak hours, with no restrictions on weekends and holidays, which was a plus. However, during the pandemic in 2020, the policy occasionally relaxed, but overall, it was strictly enforced to reduce congestion. It’s best to use a navigation app to check real-time updates while driving to avoid getting fined.
