Exclusive "Traffic Regulations" for the Pinglu Canal to Take Effect on September 15

The countdown to the opening of the Pinglu Canal has begun, and the exclusive navigation management rules for the "Century Project" have been implemented simultaneously. On September 10, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Government Information Office held a press conference to announce that the "Pinglu Canal Navigation Safety Management Regulations" (referred to as the "Regulations") will officially take effect on September 15, providing a regulatory basis for the safe passage of ships, maintenance of navigation order, and coordination of inland and maritime navigation.

The Pinglu Canal is 134.2 kilometers long and is constructed according to the standards of an inland Class I waterway, capable of accommodating ships of up to 5,000 tons. As a new waterway connecting rivers and seas, some sections of the canal are located in areas where rivers meet the sea, posing new challenges for navigation safety management in terms of integrating inland and maritime navigation rules.

The core breakthrough of the "Regulations" is the organic integration of inland and maritime navigation rules. The entire Pinglu Canal adopts a lane-based navigation system, uniformly implementing right-hand navigation and left-side ship passing. Upstream and downstream of the Qingnian Hub, specific requirements for "upstream yielding to downstream" and "countercurrent yielding to downstream flow" are clarified. A specific maritime area in Qinzhou Bay has been designated as the nation's first "equivalent to Class A" navigation zone, allowing certified inland vessels to legally enter this area after inspection certificate endorsements, thereby opening a key channel for river-sea intermodal transport.

In response to the navigation environment of the Pinglu Canal, including bends, bridges, and ship locks, the "Regulations" further quantify requirements for safe navigation speed, safe distance, surplus water depth, and bridge clearance, transforming previously general safety requirements into directly enforceable standards. Additionally, specific control measures are outlined for factors affecting navigation safety, such as wind, waves, flow speed, and visibility, while six types of prohibited behaviors are delineated, including parallel sailing, slope-side mooring, overtaking in curved sections, and drifting navigation.

The "Regulations" also specifically address concerns of residents along the canal. A "nighttime quiet zone" has been established in the waters from the Qingnian Hub to the Qinjiang Bridge on the Lanhai Expressway, prohibiting ships from sounding signals between 10 PM and 6 AM, except in emergencies. The Pinglu Canal passes through the urban area of Qinzhou City, where residents are concentrated on both sides. This measure aims to minimize disturbances to residents' nighttime rest while ensuring navigation safety.