On August 5th， according to a recent announcement from “Zhenjiang Traffic Police，” at approximately 11 a.m. on August 1st， police officer Zhou Jiashan of the Second Detachment of the Zhenjiang Highway Traffic Police was on duty at the Zhenjiang West Toll Station on the Yanglin Expressway. He observed a light enclosed van exhibiting suspicious behavior.
Upon intercepting the vehicle for inspection， the officers were astonished when they opened the sealed rear cargo compartment.
Inside the dark cargo area， which measured less than a few square meters and lacked any safety features， were nine adult passengers crammed together in a squatting or curled position， alongside their various luggage. This situation was a stark violation of safe transportation practices.
Investigation revealed that the driver， Mr. Qian， in an effort to increase his earnings， had accepted a ride request through a freight platform. Despite knowing that his vehicle was strictly prohibited from carrying passengers and had a legal capacity of only two people， he prioritized profit over safety. He illicitly crammed ten passengers (making a total of eleven people including himself) into the cargo van， intending to transport them to Zhenjiang South High-Speed Railway Station.
Currently， the implicated van has been impounded by the traffic police. The passengers， after receiving a serious education on traffic safety， have been appropriately transferred to their destinations.
Mr. Qian faces severe legal penalties for his illegal act of “seriously violating regulations by carrying passengers in a freight vehicle.”
Image courtesy of “Zhenjiang Traffic Police”
The traffic police sternly remind the public:
Vehicle cargo compartments are not designed for passenger transport:
Cargo compartments are engineered and manufactured primarily for the transportation of goods. Their structural integrity， performance， and safety technical specifications are tailored for cargo. They lack essential seating and safety protection for passengers， making them prone to passenger collisions with the vehicle’s interior， leading to injuries.
Freight vehicles generally have poorer safety performance:
When passengers are illegally carried in a cargo compartment， any collision with other vehicles or incidents like rollovers could easily result in mass casualties.
Mixed loading of passengers and cargo significantly increases the risk of injury:
If a cargo compartment simultaneously carries both people and goods， sudden braking or acceleration during transit can cause the cargo to shift， potentially crushing or injuring the occupants.
