Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Transportation officials answer questions from reporters on the "Rural Highway Regulations."

Question: In what aspects does the regulation strengthen the management and maintenance of rural roads? In terms of management, the regulation specifies that the scope of village road construction control zones shall be designated in accordance with the regulations of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, and shall be managed in accordance with relevant laws and administrative regulations; it requires the transportation authority of the county government to take effective measures to strengthen the governance of overloaded transport on rural roads; in response to common practices such as heavy-duty construction vehicles using rural roads as construction access roads causing damage, it requires the construction unit to sign agreements with the transportation authority of the county government or the township government and take appropriate protective measures; it specifies that electronic monitoring devices may be installed along rural roads for protection and management purposes; it requires the county government to organize comprehensive environmental remediation of rural road corridors. In terms of maintenance, the regulation stipulates that the county government should establish a sound management and maintenance responsibility system for rural roads, and clarifies the organizations responsible for maintenance of county roads, township roads, and village roads; daily maintenance of rural roads can involve local residents through government purchasing services, and encourages and guides professional highway maintenance companies to participate in rural road maintenance; rural road maintenance should be carried out in accordance with applicable technical specifications and operating procedures to ensure that the roads are in good technical condition. Question: What provisions does the regulation make to strengthen rural road safety? Firstly, the regulation requires the transportation authority of the county government and the township government to conduct daily inspections to address weak points in rural road safety management; the county government should establish a sound mechanism for identifying and addressing safety hazards on rural roads, focusing on sharp turns, steep slopes, water-side and cliff-side roads, level crossings, bridges and tunnels, and roads passing through villages and towns, and organize inspections and remediation of safety hazards. Secondly, in response to the inadequate disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities of rural roads, the regulation requires the county government to strengthen emergency support and disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities on rural roads, implement emergency response plans, reserve emergency supplies, and take responsibility for disaster monitoring and warning. Thirdly, the regulation emphasizes the importance of education and publicity, requiring the county government and relevant departments, as well as the township government, to conduct road traffic safety legal education and promote the awareness of road safety among rural residents living along rural roads.