The number of private cars in Beijing has tripled in the past five years while more families are planning to buy their own, according to a recent survey.

Beijing kept 220,000 private cars in 2000 and 600,000 in 2005, while 40 percent of surveyed families say they want to buy cars, the survey shows.

The survey, of 2,000 families in the eight districts of Beijing,was done by the China Center for Economic Research of Peking University.

The survey also finds Beijing residents spend one and a half hours daily on commuting, while those who spend more time feel worse.

People who drive to their offices increased by 17 percent in the past 10 years, while those by bicycle dropped by 20 percent, the survey shows.

Household monthly income increased from 1,825 yuan (US$225.3) in 1996 to 5,374 yuan (US$663.6) in 2005, according to the survey.

Young Beijing residents feel pressure from housing and work, are concerned with their children's education in middle age, then care about health and medical care, the survey finds.

The center did the same surveys in 1996, 2000 to provide a reference for government policy makers.

(Xinhua News Agency December 28, 2005)