Beijing caps car sales to ease traffic

• Source: CNTV.CN
• [08:53 December 10 2010]
• Comments

While soaring sales is good news for many car dealers and manufacturers, it also creates a traffic headache in the capital. It's a daily occurence to see Beijing's roads come to a grinding halt. To help ease the congestion, the Beijing Municipal Government unveiled a series of plans that have been approved by the State Council.

The Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, Liu Qi, says the first measure is to curb car sales from increasing too fast, thus keeping the number of vehicles on the road under control. Experts also suggest raising parking fees in downtown areas and to build more parking lots at the end of subway lines on the outskirts of the city.

Another measure that's expected to have immediate effects is to improve public transportation system. That will hopefully reduce people's reliance on private vehicles. Officials would also like to see an intelligent traffic inquiry system be established, that would mark nearby parking lots and road conditions. That could provide drivers a choice for less crowded routes. While most drivers want to get to their destination quickly, their rights to use their vehicle might be limited with the new policies. But for all citizens, less traffic is sure to make your days better.