What are the penalties for driving an out-of-town license plate into the restricted zone in Suzhou?
4 Answers
Driving an out-of-town license plate into the restricted zone in Suzhou will result in a fine and a deduction of 3 points. The 2020 new regulations for out-of-town license plates in Suzhou are: During weekday morning rush hours (7:00 to 9:00) and evening rush hours (16:30 to 18:30), vehicles are prohibited from entering roads within the ancient city area (bounded by the moat). From 7:00 to 19:00 daily, vehicles are prohibited from entering the area south of Donghui Road and Xihui Road, west of Moye Road, north of Ganjiang East Road, and east of Renmin Road. The tail number restriction system is a traffic measure introduced to alleviate urban traffic pressure, and its implementation has helped reduce traffic congestion in the city.
If an out-of-town vehicle enters the restricted zone in Suzhou and gets caught by cameras, there's a fine of 100 yuan without penalty points! Once when I drove a friend to Guanqian Street and missed the traffic restriction signs, I received the ticket on the 12123 app a week later. Suzhou's traffic restrictions mainly cover the ancient city area and expressways during peak hours. For example, the West Ring Elevated Road only allows vehicles with SuU license plates from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM and 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. It's advisable to set your map app to avoid restricted zones before departure or check the restriction map published on the Suzhou Traffic Police's official WeChat account. Remember, temporary license plates for out-of-town vehicles are also subject to penalties, especially around school areas where there are many cameras. If fined, you can handle it online without visiting the service window.
My friend got caught by an electronic eye on Renmin Road last week while driving a Shanghai-licensed car and was fined 100 yuan, which felt quite unfair. Suzhou's traffic restrictions mainly target the ancient city area and elevated road sections on weekdays, such as Ganjiang Road and Sanxiang Road. During the morning rush hour from 7-9 AM, out-of-town vehicles simply can't enter. From my experience, I always park my car at the P+R parking lot outside Loumen and switch to the subway in advance. If you're caught more than three times, you might face heavier penalties, so I recommend installing a navigation app that alerts you to traffic restrictions. Also, most areas don't have restrictions on holidays, but there might be temporary controls around scenic spots. Out-of-town new energy green license plates should also pay attention to the special restricted zones on Pingjiang Road!
Non-local vehicles in Suzhou will be fined 100 yuan if caught during restricted hours. Key restricted areas include the old city within the moat and the East-West Ring elevated roads - avoid entering during morning and evening rush hours. I once visited the Suzhou Museum on a weekend without issues, but weekdays require checking the schedule. Install the 'Suzhou Local Guide' app to check the latest restricted zones, or simply take the Middle Ring Expressway which is mostly unrestricted. If caught, you'll receive a notification via the 12123 app - just handle it promptly. A parking lot owner mentioned many out-of-town drivers fall into this trap, even though there are restriction warning signs just a few hundred meters ahead.
