Olympic host city Beijing has ruled out any limits on the number of private cars allowed on the Chinese capital’s notoriously congested and polluted streets.

A top transport official said Beijing, whose air pollution and traffic jams are key concerns of the International Olympic Committee, will not follow the lead of Shanghai.

Liu Xiaoming, deputy head of Beijing’s transportation committee said, ‘Instead, we will encourage citizens to use their cars more rationally and sparingly.’
Liu was quoted as saying the city would concentrate on promoting use of a revamped public transport system so that ‘car owners will willingly give up driving’.

In fairness, the city of 17 million opened a major new subway line last month and slashed fares to encourage ridership. A new light-rail line connecting downtown Beijing with the city’s airport also is set to open before the August 2008 Olympics.

Beijing had 3.08 million registered motor vehicles as of August, an average of one for every two families and the number of cars is expected to continue to soar as the city booms.

About 90% of Beijing’s roads are currently operating at full capacity with little room for expansion. The chances of citizens willingly giving up their cars are the equivalent of a plastic cat walking through hell carrying a red hot shovel.

In London it has been proved beyond doubt or debate that they ONLY way to get the traffic down is by legal mandate and serious financial impositions.

In most of Europe the pedestrianisation of the cities has slowed the march of cars.

It has been shown by the City of London that cars always expand to take the space available. Good subways, a wonderful start. Banning cars, however, it the only way to make sure it works. This is a decision that everyone will live to regret. And regret bitterly.
Source: AFP

Two years ago, Katie Melua had a hit with her song about there being 9 million bicycles in Beijing. Now it is nearly coming true. The Olympic city plans to put 50,000 bicycles for rent across the city ahead of the Games to curb pollution and ease congestion.

Brand new bikes will be available at 230 outlets close to subway stations, commercial districts, Olympic venues, hotels and office buildings as well as in big communities. They will be offered by Beijing Bicycle Rental Services.

The company has so far put 5,000 bikes for rent at 30 franchise outlets close to the Beijing Workers Stadium, the Drum Tower, the Forbidden City and the Xidan commercial street.

Before next August, the network will be expanded to cover major communities and all the Olympic venues. Wang Yong, general manager of Beijing Bicycle Rental Services said, ‘Organizations and individuals are welcome to join our service network for free, as long as they can provide an area about the size of one parking space.’

Wang Yong said his company would provide all the bikes for rent, and franchise outlets would get RMB1 a day for each bike they operate as running costs.

He said, ‘The outlets will also get profit sharing at the end of each month, based on their own business incomes. Not every outlet can make a profit, as people can rent a bike at one outlet and drop it somewhere else close to their destinations.’

The bicycle rental program is also sponsored by the Beijing Environment Protection Bureau as well as the anti-theft arm of the municipal public security bureau.

Police officer Wang Xiaobing said, ‘This is like a centralized management of bicycles so that citizens won’t have to worry about thefts.’
Source: JongoNews