More than 1,000 more cars hit the road each month in Beijing, joining the more than 3 million already in use. (ATR)(ATR) Beijing plans to keep an average of more than one million cars off the roads to improve traffic flow during the 2008 Olympics, officials say.
"According to the preliminary estimates, combined with other cities' experience during an Olympics, we need to cut 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the traffic load at that time so that we can guarantee the normal operation of Olympic trafffic," says Liu Xiaoming, deputy director of
the Beijing Traffic Committee.
That would mean reducing the number of vehicles on the city's roads by about 1 million to 1.2 million, Liu told reporters at the weekly briefing by BOCOG.
Liu said the city government will set limits for the usage of government vehicles and vehicles with high emissions during the games, and encourage private car owners to reduce time on the road to achieve the cut of up to 30 per cent.
"From the measures we are studying now, we could completely achieve such an objective," he said.
"Of course, we will set up a network of special lanes for Olympic traffic and take measures to manage parking around the Olympic venues,The traffic monitoring center for Beijing. (ATR)and thus we can guarantee the relatively smooth operation of traffic during the games."
Liu says the city government is still formulating detailed traffic measures, which will include promotion of public transport through additional subway lines and new bus lanes and routes.
Officials said traffic management, security and other measures used during last November's China-Africa Forum in Beijing were intended to test measures that may be used during the 2008 Olympics.
Last year's measures included restrictions on vehicles, rounding up vagrants, early closure of schools, and promotion of public transport and cycling.
Liu says the Olympics will pose a greater challenge than the
China-Africa Forum, which lasted only a few days.
The city government hopes that the Olympic-related traffic measures will also reduce the rate of car-buying in Beijing, the official China Daily said Wednesday.
About 1,000 new cars monthly add to the estimated three million vehicles already congesting roads in the city of 15 million people.
The government will also raise parking fees and reduce the number of parking spaces in the city center.
"It is every resident's responsibility to alleviate the traffic jams," the newspaper quoted Liu as saying.
Traffic congestion and air pollution are two of the main concerns highlighted during visits to Beijing by the IOC, which will end its latest visit to Beijing on Thursday.
With reporting from Beijing by Bill Smith.
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