Car Free Day in China fails to get traffic off roads
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Xinhua, September 22, 2011
Traffic congestion in major Chinese cities showed little signs of easing during morning rush hours on Thursday, as more than 142 Chinese cities marked the country's fifth Car Free Day.
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Traffic congestion on Beijing's north Fourth Ring Road shows few signs of easing during the afternoon rush hours on Thursday, as the capital marked the annual World Car Free Day. Authorities in several major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, banned private cars from some roads on Thursday to promote the special occasion. |
The only notable change in Beijing took place on the streets near the National Stadium -- also known as the Bird's Nest -- in the northern part of the city, where the municipal government banned private cars from being driven.
The transport authorities added 300 bus shuttles to deal with residents' traffic needs.
Beijing's downtown with some of the world's widest streets are typically clogged with nearly 5 million automobiles registered in the city.
Beijing's residents have tolerated a series of government-imposed restrictions from car registration quotas to a number-based traffic ban that keeps about 20 percent of the city's cars off the road on weekdays.
Zhao Hong, director of the economic institute of the Beijing Academy of Social Science, said rising incomes, falling car prices and city expansion have made it possible, and sometimes necessary, for a larger number of Beijing residents to own a car.
At the currently ongoing Chengdu Auto Show 2011 in the capital of the southwest Sichuan Province, car sales are swift. More than 4,609 cars were sold in the first four days of the nine-day event, which will close Sunday.
Liu Fuhai, a white-colar worker in the city, said he just bought a car for fears that Chengdu would follow Beijing and other cities in restricting car license registration.
"It is more convenient to have a car any way. I'd better buy one early," he said.
In Shanghai, 200,000 car drivers had accepted car stickers from volunteers organized by the municipal government and several non-governmental organizations at gas stations over the last few days. The drivers made the pledge to voluntarily give up driving on Thursday, and to use their vehicles as little as possible on other weekdays.
In Guangzhou, rather than impose restrictions on private car use, the government limited 90 percent of government vehicles from being driven on Thursday.
"The essence of the Car Free Day is to carry on the idea of green transport," said Guo Jianrong, secretary general of the Shanghai Bicycle Industry Association.
He said that it is more meaningful to infuse people with the awareness to use green transport alternatives whenever possible rather than imposing restrictions.
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