Home Travel Comment丨Huangshan intends to expand the scope of paid rescue, and don’t forget...

Comment丨Huangshan intends to expand the scope of paid rescue, and don’t forget the public nature of emergency rescue

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Public resources shouldn’t pay for the willfulness of “alice friends” time and time again. This is the consensus of most people, but when it comes to specific scenarios, there are often vast differences.

A few days ago, the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Huangshan City, Anhui Province asked for opinions from the society and plans to expand the scope of paid rescue from the Huangshan Scenic Area to the entire mountainous area. At the same time, the expense items, review process and legal responsibilities are also detailed. In 2018, Huangshan Scenic Area opened the first paid rescue in China, and formulated the first domestic regulated document of the paid rescue system. The draft released this time has won overwhelming support and “applause” from netizens.

In fact, not only Huangshan, but many scenic spots in China are also experimenting with paid rescue methods. For example, the Yading Scenic Spot in Daocheng, Sichuan Province “marks prices” according to the search and rescue route: Yading Village, Yeerhong Village to Kanggu Gongga Galaxy area, search and rescue costs from 15,000 Starting at RMB 20,000, the search and rescue costs for the other 4 routes all start at RMB 20,000.

Compared with the previous “unlimited responsibility”, the introduction of the paid rescue system is tantamount to drawing a circle for the behavior of “allies”. Responsibility decomposition, risk-taking, benefit coordination, etc. will also make the current rescue more standardized. This is also a unity of rights, responsibilities, and obligations, and conforms to the principle of fairness and justice. After all, for outdoor adventures, the “Asses” should take into account the risks they will encounter and bear the corresponding responsibilities for these risks. It is obviously unreasonable if they are all transferred to public institutions.

Huangshan’s first “paid rescue” has indeed produced a certain degree of deterrence and alertness. According to statistics, the annual rescue volume in Huangshan Scenic Area was about 400 cases, of which about 75% were general rescues, and about 25% were severe or severely injured. The resulting costs range from hundreds of thousands to millions, which are basically borne by the scenic spot. The paid rescue method has been implemented for nearly a year, and the number of illegal expeditions intercepted and investigated in Huangshan Scenic Area has dropped significantly to 41 persons in 3 batches. It can be seen that the responsibility sharing mechanism passed in accordance with the law and regulations has indeed played a certain role in restraining the risk of violations of the “Asses”.

↑Anhui Huangshan Scenic Area implemented paid rescue for the first time.Photo courtesy of Huangshan Scenic Area Management Committee

Public resources should not pay for the willfulness of the “alice friends” time and time again. This is the consensus of most people, but when it comes to specific scenarios, there are often very different and complicated entanglement relationships. Therefore, we must be vigilant about “one size fits all” and cannot rescue from the public. Jump to the “Sky-Priced Rescue” in one go.

First, paid rescue cannot replace related public management responsibilities. Many “Asses” have accidents, of course, are closely related to their lack of professional knowledge, professional skills, lack of physical strength, and mismatched equipment. These problems have always been criticized in the past, and they think that these “Asses” are curious and overestimated. In the end, he blindly ventured into danger after gaining his own ability. However, it should also be noted that the torrential rains and landslides encountered by many people involved in risk are “force majeure.” In the process, it is not easy to accurately distinguish which are paid rescues and which are public rescues.

What’s more, my country’s emergency rescue is generally based on free rescue by the public sector. When citizens encounter unexpected risks, the government has the responsibility and obligation to provide emergency rescue. From the point of view of the “Asses” itself, it is also a statutory right to make rescue requests in danger. The “Travel Law of the People’s Republic of China” does stipulate that “travelers shall pay the expenses that should be borne by the individual after receiving assistance from relevant organizations or institutions.” How to clarify the responsibilities of all parties, and then calculate the part that an individual should bear, obviously requires more professional judgment. In any case, public responsibility cannot simply be completely replaced by “paid rescue”.

Start paid rescue, also May wish to introduce more business logic to make it more standardized and transparent, and avoid excessive charges and sky-high charges. Considering that the appeals of rescuers are life-saving, they often lack the motivation and ability to bargain. In order to avoid the situation of abnormally high prices, the introduction of a market mechanism may be a way. For example, an insurance company launches outdoor insurance. Just like the rescue list in auto insurance, “Asses” can call for service at any time if something happens.

Paid assistance is a useful supplement to public assistance. “Asses” must of course cherish life, respect nature, exercise more restraint and self-discipline, and tourism departments and related scenic spots must strengthen warnings and on-site management of illegal outings and expeditions. In the event of misfortune and danger, we must abide by the principle of “life first” and make every effort to rescue.

Red Star News Special Commentator Long Zhizhu

Edit Wang Yintao

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