A wide range of construction in downtown areas was putting pressure on Shanghai's traffic, but the head of traffic police said authorities will do their best to keep it moving smoothly.

Chen Zhikang, head of the traffic police team, said this morning during an online interview that work is being done on more than 1,000 roads for various projects such as the integrated traffic renovation program in Hongqiao, Metro expansion, major road work near the Bund and construction for World Expo 2010.

Adding to the pressure, the total number of registered vehicles soared 26 percent last year from 2006. However, there's little room for further extension of current roads in downtown areas, Chen said.

He said traffic police have made a big effort to reduce congestion and ensure traffic moves smoothly in downtown areas.

Police have installed surveillance cameras on many downtown roads. The facilities are especially important to police during rush hours.

Chen said traffic accidents near a crossing on Tianmu Road declined 80 percent as police worked with college experts to install a traffic signaling system there. He said the innovative practice has been praised by many drivers. The crossing was notorious for congestion and accidents.

Chen also said that drivers need to be more responsible as many frequently break the rules and expressed frustration that traffic police can not catch so many offenders.

``It's impossible to dispatch a police officer every several meters on streets to catch each of these frequent traffic offenses,'' Chen said.

Lane-cutting is the most frequent violation that triggers many traffic accidents, Chen said.

Drivers are also unaware that when they are making a right turn they should stop and allow pedestrians to cross first, which is required by traffic rules. They also like to use their mobile phones while driving, said the head of the traffic police team.

Chen is calling for drivers to be more law-abiding and improve their behavior behind the wheel.

(Shanghai Daily April 14, 2008)