Traffic police in East China are now allowing repeat offenders to pay fines instead of having their licenses revoked.

Authorities in Hefei, capital of Anhui province, revealed the controversial move to People's Daily on Saturday.

According to the report, rule breakers can add points to their driving license if they attend a 30-minute safety course, sign a safe-driving promise and pay a fine within 15 days.

In China, drivers who receive a maximum of 12 penalty points automatically lose their license.

The Ministry of Public Security's new registration and use of license regulations that take effect on Jan 1 will impose a more severe penalty points system.

"We urge drivers with a rule-breaking history to receive education and fines in order to prepare them for the regulatory change and avoid influencing their lives and work," a local police official was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

"So we initiated a campaign to check drivers' rule-breaking history 20 days ahead of the enactment of the new regulation."

Some drivers said Anhui police's practice is "forgiving and humane as it re-educates careless drivers and gives them another opportunity".

But some worried that erasing penalty points by paying fines would render the penalty system unjust and encourage unruly drivers, who may believe money can solve their problems.