A view of Nantong at night [Photo/WeChat account: wxntfb]

Nantong retained its first place spot among 50 cities in China on the public traffic health index from January to June, according to reports issued by amap.com.

The leading online map service provider has worked with the Big Data Development Department of the State Information Center, the Joint Research Center for Sustainable Transportation between Tsinghua University and Daimler, the ITS Research Center of Tongji University, and more to evaluate traffic conditions in major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou.

The public traffic health index is based on nine indicators, including travel efficiency on major roads, congestion, and travel time. The average score among the 50 major cities is considered the minimum score for "healthy" traffic.

According to the report for the second quarter of this year, Nantong ranked first with a score of 76.46 percent, followed by Changzhou, Luoyang, Urumqi, and Shaoxing.

Statistics showed that from January to July, the number of traffic accidents fell 25.7 percent year on year, while transport accidents dropped 54.9 percent year on year.

This was the result of efforts by the local government to improve the city's traffic conditions, according to officials.

"The government has given top priority to traffic safety," said Xu Jing, deputy director of the city's public security department.

A comprehensive system has been established to monitor traffic conditions, increase the public's awareness of traffic safety, and crack down on illegal behavior, such as illegal transport businesses and traffic violations.

A digital traffic management center also helps the city manage its traffic more efficiently.