DRIVERS parking illegally near the city s airport have devised a new tactic to avoid detection by traffic cameras: human shields.
Going beyond the traditional methods of covering license plates with materials like paper, some drivers are getting people to climb onto their cars trunks to obscure the plates, the Daily Sunshine reported Thursday.
In a recent case, a taxi driver was seen moving his car very slowly along Hangcheng Road 4 near the airport, where taxis are forbidden to solicit passengers, with another man leaning on the trunk covering the plate.
Seemingly aware of the location of a nearby road camera, the driver stopped when he was just out of camera range.
But despite his best efforts, the taxi s plates were still recorded by traffic police.
According to Shenzhen s traffic rules, those who park illegally can be fined 300 yuan (US$45) and have three points deducted from their driver s license. Drivers caught covering their license plates can be fined 6,000 yuan and have six points deducted from their license, plus a six-month driving ban.
Traffic police have recorded 455 cases involving covered plates and improper plate installation since Aug. 1.
(Li Hao)
