Children's safety in spotlight online and on roads

A number of ministry-level departments, including those responsible for education, housing and urban-rural development, and public security, have responded to matters of public concern.

Internet safeguards for minors to be strengthened

The Ministry of Education, the National Press and Publication Administration and four other departments are set to launch a campaign to overhaul the online environment for minors.

In a notice released on Aug 26, the six departments noted outstanding issues such as addiction to online games, saying such addiction and related issues have seriously undermined the physical and mental health of minors.

The targets of the campaign will include online game companies and platforms that have failed to introduce real-name registration for users or systems to control how long children can spend playing games.

The campaign will also target game providers who have lax management of paid services.

The notice said local authorities should strengthen efforts to rectify "unhealthy behavior online" involving minors, including "fan circles", consisting of specialized platoons of enthusiasts, and the use of foul language, and investigate cases of bullying, blackmail and people illegally obtaining private information.

The campaign also aims to address the dissemination of inappropriate information, strengthen supervision of internet companies and further educate minors on how to protect themselves online.

Authorities urged to improve communities

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and 12 other government departments have issued a guideline urging local authorities to improve conditions in residential communities.

The notice, which was released on Aug 26, set a goal that by 2025, existing residential communities will have their weaknesses addressed and newly built ones will be equipped with a range of essential facilities.

Among the key tasks, local authorities should design communities so facilities such as kindergartens and centers that provide services for seniors should be situated just a 5- or 10-minute walk from residents' homes, according to the guideline.

The document also suggested that each community should accommodate 5,000 to 12,000 people at the most.

Authorities should address weaknesses in residential communities in light of local conditions, the guideline said.

They should also prioritize the construction of drainage systems and renovate those that do not separate rainwater from sewage.

Authorities should also make full use of underutilized open spaces and demolish illegally built constructions to provide more space for activities, and raise the number of service facilities.

The guideline also called for increased construction of barrier-free environments.

Efforts boosted to prevent school bus accidents

As schools begin the new semester, the Traffic Management Bureau at the Ministry of Public Security has ordered traffic police departments nationwide to assist efforts to prevent accidents involving school buses in China.

According to a news release posted on the bureau's official WeChat account on Aug 27, the notice required local traffic police departments to strengthen communication with education authorities and schools.

They should also issue timely traffic alerts.

The notice also ordered authorities to urge schools and school bus manufacturers to improve maintenance of such vehicles and prohibit unsafe buses from taking to the roads.

They should also keep track of the mental and physical health of employees and stop those with mental or physical problems from driving school buses, and detect and address any risks on routes used by school buses.

The notice also called for teachers, parental volunteers and police officers to work together to regulate traffic around schools during peak hours, and ordered strict investigations of illegality, such as overloaded buses and driving faster than the speed limit.