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Paparazzi in Guangzhou are having a roller-coaster ride. Their services were first much sought after, then halted, and now even denounced by some people.

Violations of traffic rules by some reckless drivers have turned driving into a nightmare experience in cities. [newsphoto.com.cn]

We're not talking about people who chase celebrities, but those who point their lenses at traffic violations.

On July 15, a citywide programme was initiated to curb reckless driving and cut down the rate of traffic accidents. Anyone above the age of 16 was encouraged to take photos of traffic violations as they occur. Once a photo was used by the traffic department, the photographer would receive 20 yuan (US$2.4) in payment.

By September, 400 people had registered for the programme and 33,680 photos accepted. The number submitted was about five times higher because the acceptance rate was around 20 per cent. For a while some pedestrian bridges in downtown locations looked like the press corps at the Oscar ceremony.

Authorities suspended the programme for two weeks in September, citing oversupply of photos and some unexpected fallout. When it was resumed, there was a limit of 15 photos a day from each.

Proponents argue that citizens on patrol had effectively reduced driving transgressions. By one estimate, 320 "valid" photos are tantamount to one day's work of 50 traffic cops. More importantly, it enhances citizens' sense of involvement in municipal affairs.

Opponents contend that the citizen snoop programme is an incentive for profit seekers. The emergence of "professional" traffic sleuths is a violation of the public service nature of the activity.

Besides, it is inappropriate to have a private citizen taking over the job of a law enforcement officer, says Zhu Yongping, a lawyer at Guangzhou-based Datong Law Firm.

A citizen has the obligation to offer aid to the police when necessary, but this should not be interpreted as assuming some of the police powers. There is no law stating or implying that police power can be transferred, reasons Zhan Zhongle, professor at Peking University law school.

Zhan further clarifies that shooting traffic violators with cameras is different from reporting suspected cases of tax evasion or counterfeits, which also carry financial reward. The former is the collection of evidence, while the latter just provides some clues, from which law enforcement agents then follow up.

The legality of this "amateur" evidence is sometimes tested when the driver being accused contests it. Some of the photos can be interpreted in more than one way, and not all of them point to a violation.

A mature society should not encourage the public to make money out of other's errors. Instead, we should promote tolerance and patience, claims Mao Shoulong, professor of public policy at Renmin University of China.

Meanwhile, Guangzhou police admit that opinion is divided inside the agency. Payments for the August photos were delayed until recently, and there is some doubt whether later submissions will be paid at all.

As a result, the 400-person strong army of paparazzi has shrunk to less than 50.

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