Model Meng steers road safety on the right path

Award-winner Meng Kunyu is stationed at a busy intersection in downtown Beijing. Dong Shibiao

A woman's scream brings the public bus to a sudden halt in the middle of the Beijing street blocking rush-hour traffic.

Traffic police officer Meng Kunyu rushes onboard and sees a 50-something woman lying on the floor clutching her chest. "Calm down, everyone," Meng shouts to the anxious commuters. "It must be heart attack."

He swiftly takes out a small bottle from his first aid kit and inserts a special tablet into the woman's mouth.

The "cardiac revival" pill was administered just in time and the Beijing mother is alive to today thanks to the efforts of one of China's most highly praised model citizens.

Meng's outstanding service over the past eight years has won him many prizes, including the Capital Model Worker Award in May, and China's "First Class" bravery award, a prize reserved for the military.

The life-saving action of the 28-year-old traffic officer, from Beijing's Xuanwu district, has helped change police procedure and all officers in his district now carry the same medicine. Five people have been saved as a result of the plan.

Meng, who makes 3,000 yuan ($439) per month, is stationed at a busy intersection near Guang'anmen and for eight years has worked his beat from dawn to dusk.

He is just one of an army of 7,000 traffic officers battling against the capital's rising tide of traffic.

Their efforts are helping save lives. Last year 986 people died on Beijing's roads, 196 less than that of 2007.

Meng has seen Beijing's traffic volumes grow and has also witnessed many horrific scenes of road carnage.

To save more lives and reduce the arrival time of ambulances, Meng designed a "life green path", which shows the shortest and smoothest path for the ambulance to use.

The service has extended to many hospitals across Beijing. The "life green path" plan has been used in more than 50 serious accidents.

Besides his bosses, the handsome young man, who stands 180 cm tall and considers himself more traditional Chinese than modern, has many other admirers.

His colleagues joke that he must have been the inspiration for the character in the movie Call For Love II in which a bunch of women intentionally violated the traffic rules so they could receive personal punishment.

His real-life fans, of many different ages, offer more practical support, such as bottles of water, face towels, fruit or small helpings of green bean soup.

Some of these people he has helped, but other admirers surprisingly have copped a fine from the young officer.

Taxi driver Jiang Kunlai is one such man.

In 2007, Meng issued Jiang a 200 yuan ($29) parking fine but the two have now become good friends.

"In my eyes traffic police and drivers are natural enemies on the roads because some police are always very harsh with us, but Meng changed my attitude on police," says Jiang, 51, who works for the Xianglong taxi company.

"I still remembered the way of his talking, it is just like speaking with a family member.

"In a bid to help me avoid getting a similar fine, he also gave me a small card on which has a clear sign of taxi parking lots."

Illegal parking is major road safety problem at the intersection and Meng was determined to solve the problem.

Meng's "parking card" originated from carefully investigation. He first noticed that most of taxi drivers were not aware they were parking at wrong places. During his spare time, Meng visited nearby shops and finally drew a map of taxi stops.

Using his own money, he printed many cards and handed them out free to taxi drivers.

Meng's plan was adopted throughout the entire district and the rate of taxi illegal parking was reduced by 95 percent.

His colleague Zhen Fuchun says Meng is very popular among older people who are quick to offer a big bottle of water.

"I was very moved when I saw an old lady volunteered to hold umbrella for him during a rainy day," he says.

According to Wu Yanhui, team leader of Guang'anmen Traffic Police Team, during Meng's eight years' span as a traffic police, he has no record of asking leave due to personal reasons for a single time, even when both of his parents were in hospital before Olympics.

Last year he was assigned for the task of escorting during Olympics and he did not go home during the 122 days.

Born in a rich family, Meng says he now has found joy through the work, despite hardship.

"I am very proud of my career and the reorganization and understanding of people are the best rewards for me than everything, Meng adds.

"I hope one day I could have a long holiday and go for a trip with my family that is my biggest wish now, " Meng says.

(China Daily 08/10/2009 page8)