Others News
- Beijing News
Date: 29-May-2007 Sources: (Xinhua Online)
The number of registered automobiles in Beijing reached 3 million on Saturday - a great pressure to the city's traffic system and environment, according to a traffic official.
'The number reflects the level of economic and social development in Beijing, but also poses a new pressure to the urban traffic system and environment protection,' said Liu Xiaoming, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Transportation Commission.
Insisting that the government will be able to deal with the new challenge, Liu called for an improvement in the city's current public transport system.
Liu made the remarks on Saturday at a seminar on scientific renovation and urban management at the ongoing Beijing High-Tech Expo.
Statistics show that 30.2 percent of Beijing residents travel by bus and 29.8 percent drive cars, according to Liu.
'The rapid increase in the number of privately-owned cars and a decrease from 1.52 persons per car to 1.26 persons per car is not conducive to energy conservation,' said Liu.
Statistics show that the number of newly-registered automobiles in Beijing is growing at a rate of about 1,000 a day, and the total number is expected to reach between 3.3 million to 3.5 million by August next year, when the Olympic Games begin.
The municipal government has tried to restructure the bus network and reduce ticket prices to encourage the use of public transport but still the streets are clogged at rush hour.
In a short-term measure for the Olympics, it has decided to restrict the access of more than 1 million vehicles, particularly those belonging to government departments and state-owned enterprises, to downtown Beijing during the Olympics to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.
Liu said that about 45 percent of residents are expected to travel via public transport by 2015.
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