China’s deadly vehicle attacks spark sales boom for traffic barriers

As orders for products like stone granite balls and steel barricades surge, some suppliers have doubled their workforces to meet demand

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Orders for stone traffic barriers in China have surged in the hope that more barricades can keep people safe from possible vehicle rammings in public places. Photo: Taobao

Published: 10:00am, 7 Dec 2024

Following a series of deadly attacks in China that have shocked the nation, orders for traffic safety barriers for schools, shopping districts and other public places have soared, according to several Chinese suppliers.

The companies said they had seen substantial increases in product inquiries and purchases in November compared to earlier months, with some firms doubling their workforces to cope with urgent orders to be filled before the festive season at the end of January.

In a string of recent incidents, the most serious attack left 35 people dead and dozens injured after a vehicle ploughed into crowds of people exercising outside a sports stadium in the southern city of Zhuhai in early November. The mass killings prompted authorities around the country to tighten security measures.

Days after that incident, eight people were killed and 17 injured when a man went on a stabbing rampage at a college in the eastern city of Wuxi. A 21-year-old former student who had failed his exams and was said to be angry about his pay as a factory intern was detained at the scene of the attack.

People visit a makeshift memorial at the scene of a deadly vehicle attack in Zhuhai in November. Photo: Reuters

Joe Chen, 45, who owns a stone processing plant in the city of Jinjiang in the coastal province of Fujian, said many schools in Fujian and Guangdong province had placed orders for his granite traffic barriers in November. He said the hope was that the barriers, which separate pedestrians from traffic, would help reduce the risk of vehicles being used to ram into students and parents.