Beijing holds 2nd car license lottery

• Source: CNTV.CN
• [09:07 February 28 2011]
• Comments

As of Wednesday, Beijing's transport authority had received more than 300 thousand personal car license applications for February's lottery. The lottery started on Saturday morning at the Beijing Municipal Committee of Communication. Bai Jie was there and filed this report.

A total of 17,600 individual applicants, or about 5 percent of the total, were awarded plates at the lottery. Applicants could check the results on-line 25 minutes after the lottery or by phone one hour later. The number of applications rose by more than 90 thousand over January and a lot of applicants felt big pressure.

License Plate Applicant said, "There are much more car license applications than last month which really bears down on me. My parents and I all sent our applications to increase the probability."

Adding to the rise in numbers are those who apply with no immediate plans of buying a car. They have 6 months to do so after winning. But this reduces the chances for those with a more pressing need.

Concerning this problem, the transport authority did not give a direct answer.

Wang Zhaorong, Committee Member of Beijing Municipal Committee of Comm., said, "According to the lottery rules and procedure, every applicant shares the same probability. The system will always keep the valid code of every applicant who has failed in the lottery."

Last year, Beijing saw a record 800,000 new cars take to the already overcrowded streets. The congestion costs drivers an average 340 yuan and 30 hours each month, much more than the cost of jams in other cities.

The license plate lottery is a necessary step for Beijing to limit the number of cars on the road and therefore ease pollution. But attention should also be paid to the problems revealed by this new system.