Defaulters shamed at Shanghai railway stations
Shanghai Daily, July 6, 2016
For the first time in Shanghai, the names, addresses and photos of people and companies who have failed to pay debts in defiance of court orders have been put on display at railway stations.
It is the latest effort by Shanghai Railway Transportation Court to pressure defaulters to fulfil their obligations in accordance with rulings, officials said yesterday.
The eight people and 10 enterprises exposed have outstanding debts ranging from 1,984 yuan (US$297) to more than 2.92 million yuan.
Passengers can see the individual defaulters' names, photos, registered addresses, identity card numbers and the amount of money they owe on huge electronic screens at Shanghai Railway Station and Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station.
According to the court, the information and photos will be displayed every 10 minutes between 9am and 10pm for seven days. A new batch of people and companies will be selected for shaming next week.
Courts have used other mediums, such as television and social media, to apply pressure on defaulters, but this is the first time railway display screens have been used in this way in the city.
Officials say the huge numbers of people passing through the stations make the screens an effective medium for shaming people.
Under a regulation imposed by the supreme court last year, defaulters can also be denied service at star-rated hotels, banned from taking planes and high-speed trains, and even be barred from enrolling their children in expensive private schools.
