Society

Beijing's 10-year effort in fighting over traffic jam

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-12-15 15:59

With more than 2,000 cars being added every day, Beijing has witnessed a frantic never-before-seen pace of car purchasing in the last month of 2010. Along with the increase, the city's traffic congestion faces a difficult situation.

Aiming at reducing the increasingly severe traffic congestion, a draft plan released on Dec 6 started soliciting public opinion on Monday. According to the plan, the measures include speeding up construction of infrastructure, improving traffic management and limiting car purchases or use, to improve the city's traffic conditions, a Xinhua report said Tuesday.

Related readings:  Can congestion fees soothe Beijing's traffic woes?  A road map to ease traffic gridlock in China  Small, big cities share same traffic woes  Merits of Hong Kong traffic

In fact, Beijing has been trying to find new solutions for its gridlocked traffic congestion for the past 10 years.

Back in December 2001, a massive traffic congestion caused by a sudden snowfall marked the beginning of the nightmare.

In 2005, Beijing made a plan to give priority to the development of public transportation as one response to the traffic congestion.

And in October 2008, Beijing launched a policy to limit motor vehicle use based on tag numbers, which was once considered one of the most important measures in dealing with the city's traffic jams. In April this year, Beijing decided to continue the policy for two more years.

In addition to Beijing, the traffic problem is also raging in Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou and other second- and third-tier cities in China.

Therefore, as the capital of the country, Beijing's ambitious new plan is not just a scheme for the city, but could be a blueprint for China's other cities in helping ease traffic congestion.