What are the penalty standards for Beijing's traffic restriction policy in 2020?
2 Answers
In 2020, the penalty standards for Beijing's traffic restriction policy are as follows: According to the regulations of the Beijing Traffic Police Department, the restricted area for vehicles without a Beijing entry permit has been expanded to the 6th Ring Road. Violators will be penalized with a 3-point deduction on their driver's license and a fine. For drivers who genuinely forget the restriction day and unintentionally drive out, they will receive one penalty. Within 3 hours, the driver can move the vehicle out of the restricted area to the nearest parking lot or return to the starting point without worrying about further penalties. However, if the vehicle continues to operate within the same day, it will be penalized repeatedly. Notes: Official vehicles: The restricted area includes all roads within the administrative region of the city, and the restricted time is from 0:00 to 24:00. Private vehicles: The restricted time is from 7:00 to 20:00 from Monday to Friday, and the restricted area is within the 5th Ring Road (excluding the main road of the 5th Ring Road). For long-distance travel, public buses or the subway can be chosen as alternatives.
Last year when I was driving around Beijing, I always had to keep the traffic restriction rules in mind. The 2020 policy restricted vehicles one weekday based on license plate endings - for example, plates ending with 1 or 6 couldn't drive inside the 5th Ring Road on Mondays, 2 or 7 on Tuesdays, and so on, from 7 AM to 8 PM daily. The restricted area covered everywhere within the 5th Ring Road but excluded the 5th Ring Road itself. If caught violating by traffic cameras, there was a 100 yuan fine without penalty points, payable within 10 days. I got busted once when I forgot my plate ending with 3 was restricted on a Wednesday and got a ticket mailed home. Honestly, these rules help ease congestion and control pollution - I think they're good. Though the fine is small, it serves as an effective reminder. Nowadays I use mobile maps to check real-time restriction schedules. New drivers often overlook that adjusted workdays during holidays still follow these rules. When driving gets tiring, switching to buses or subways is much more relaxing.
