Beggars on China’s subway network are making up to US$60 a day
Despite the practice being illegal, fines are so low that spongers consider it worth the risk
Professional beggars who prowl the subway network of a major city in central China are taking home 400 yuan (US$63) a day, or about five times the national average working wage, according to a local media report.
Such is the scale of the problem that police and subway authorities in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, last week launched a campaign to hit back at those who make their living scrounging cash from commuters, Chutian Metropolis Daily reported on Friday.
Although begging on public transport is illegal in China, the size of the fine for doing so varies from place to place. In Wuhan, it is just 50 yuan.
With such a minimal deterrent, the authorities’ new idea adopts a carrot and stick approach by offering beggars immunity from a financial penalty for their first offence, as long as they sign an agreement to pay a fine of 200 yuan if they are caught a second time.
