More park-and-ride lots needed to ease congestion (3)

The parking lot provides 436 bays, according to operator Beijing Gonglian Co, and they are so popular that almost all of them are occupied by 9 am.

Land shortage is a major problem that hinders the development of more park-and-ride lots, according to Chen Yanyan, a professor at Beijing University of Technology's Transport Research Center.

"To cope with the problem, subway developers are now including land for park-and-ride lots in their plans before constructing a new line," she said.

To encourage the use of public transportation, Beijing has put thousands of bikes up for public rental near many subway stations. The number of bikes available for lease is expected to reach 50,000 in the next few years.

The service, which was initially open only to permanent residents of Beijing when introduced in June, has now been opened to all residents, including foreigners with valid passports, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport announced in October.

In 2011, an average of 19.6 million trips were made on the city's public transport every day, accounting for 42 percent of all travel, according to the commission.

We Recommend:
Cute girls and children in chilling China	'Devil bodyguard training camp' in Sanya	China through the lens of Japanese photographer
Cheongsam inspired by women's secret language	Outrage as little girls don bikinis at auto show	Body painting show attracts public's view
Tough nail household in Wenling, Zhejiang	'Gangnam style' life of young rich in China	Sexy models and fancy cars rock auto show