More than half of private car owners in China are thinking of driving their cars less as a result of fuel price hikes.

This means the roads may not be as clogged as before, which could also ease pollution.

The government raised the prices of gasoline and diesel by 16-18 percent on June 20. Based on the adjustment, the price of No.93 gasoline has soared to 6.25 yuan per liter, with a markup of 0.86 yuan, which has led to paying more at the pump for car owners.

About 60 percent of the 1,714 respondents said they still preferred to drive, citing convenience and comfort, according to a survey by news portal Sina.com.

Mass transit including buses, subways and light rail has become an increasingly popular alternative to driving a car.

Nearly 28 percent of those surveyed said they would considering switching to buses, while more than 12 percent said they would give up driving and take the subway.

Only a small number of the respondents said they would choose taking taxis and carpooling, an efficient yet unofficial mode of transport.

Some drivers have quit driving now in view of higher fuel prices and mass transit that is more accessible than before.

A computer engineer in Beijing, who goes by the surname Zhu, is one of them. He said he recently gave up driving and switched to taking the subway to escape from the fuel price increases. He estimated he would have to pay about 200 yuan more at the pump if he continued to drive.

He has also found it's very convenient for him to commute between home and work through the north-south subway Line 5.

"It takes longer for me to drive to work than riding the subway, but riding the subway is less comfortable because there are so many people there," Zhu said.

Feeling the pressure of higher prices at the pump, the vast majority of private car owners said they would drive less although they wouldn't give up driving altogether.

Their monthly fuel expenditure ranged from 500 yuan to 1,000 yuan before the fuel rises began on June 20. They are now facing an extra 100-200 yuan in fuel costs per month.

Among the 1,358 respondents, roughly 75 percent said they would use their car less, while less than 21 percent said they would continue the same amount of use.

Li Hui, a marketing manager, said he would drive as little as possible to save on money after the gasoline price increases. He added that he was even thinking about selling his Buick Excelle car if fuel prices rise again.

The increase in gasoline and diesel prices began on June 20 nationwide and was the first increase in eight months as well as the biggest price rise for years.

The government was forced to raise oil prices because of the soaring price of crude in the international market.

China has grown into the world's second-largest auto market where private cars topped 38.85 million units as of June 2008, according to statistics from the Traffic Management Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security. Private cars account for 63.46 percent of the total number of the country's cars.

(China Daily July 11, 2008)