Jinan Police and Taobao Flash Purchase Pause Delivery Timing at Red Lights

On August 24, Jinan traffic police and Taobao Flash Purchase jointly launched the "wait at light, no time counting" feature, making Jinan one of the first cities nationwide to implement the measure. The feature uses the rider-side app to automatically identify red-light status at intersections, pausing delivery timing while riders wait at lights, with wait time excluded from performance assessment. The initiative aims to give delivery riders a more generous time buffer during deliveries.

In the Zhangqiu pilot area, riders who have used the feature for two days reported that the system automatically adds time to orders when waiting at red lights, noticeably easing the delivery pace compared with before. Previously, average delivery time per order was about 20 minutes, with most orders needing to arrive right on schedule. When red lights coincided with slow merchant food preparation, riders often faced a dilemma between following the rules and being late, or running red lights at their own risk. Since the new feature launched, each order gains an average of two to three minutes of buffer time, easing overtime anxiety. The platform no longer imposes cash fines on overdue orders, but overtime still deducts rider service points, and a lower service score affects the quality of subsequent order assignments.

In the urban area of Jinan, multiple riders said delivery time remains tight. Some riders believe that under the current delivery rules, not running red lights is unrealistic, as some neighborhoods have dense intersections and insufficient time leads to overtime deductions. Other riders are reserved about the red-light pause feature, arguing that increasing total delivery time would be more effective than compensating for red-light waits, noting that current delivery times have already been significantly shortened compared with the past.

Merchant food preparation speed remains a major cause of overtime. Some riders reported that certain merchants take five to six minutes to prepare food, while the system compensates only one minute, leaving insufficient time compensation and persistent overtime risk. System information shown by a Meituan rider indicated an average delivery duration of 27 minutes; for stir-fry type orders requiring waiting, the wait time counts into the countdown, further compressing actual road delivery time.