LOCAL lawmakers yesterday proposed new legislation that would require courier companies to examine the contents of all parcels they receive from customers.

The national postal authority decreed in 2014 that all parcels must be examined, but many courier firms have failed to comply, said Zhang Jiancheng, a senior Shanghai People’s Congress legislator.

“Some courier firms have been found to be delivering dangerous materials, knives, bullets and drugs in recent years, so it is necessary to enact a law that ensures the safety of the city and its residents,” Zhang told a meeting of the standing committee of the Shanghai People’s Congress.