Vehicles in Beijing Approach 2 Million, and Traffic Jams Increase

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, July 28, 2003

Vehicles in Beijing Approach 2 Million, and Traffic Jams Increase

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So far motor vehicles in Beijing has topped 1.97 million, approaching 2 million. In the first half of this year the city witnessed an increase in motors of over 170,000, and drivers of 105,000 with the total exceeding 3 million. The increase in motors and drivers spurs the rocketing in traffic flows, leading to the increase in crowded road sections and time periods in Beijing.

In April this year vehicles mounted up by 34571, taking up 20 percent of the total increased in the first half of this year and up 23.8 percent over the same period last year. In a breakdown, private small and mini buses rose by 22838, 66.1 percent more than that of the same period of last year. By the end of April the possession number of vehicles was 1.964 million around the city. Although the momentum in motor-increase has slowed down since last May, the total increase still reached around 10,000. According to statistics conducted by Beijing Municipal Statistics Bureau, by the middle ten days of last May every hundred families in Beijing possess 5.1 motors, ranking the country's first, and private motors constitute over 60 percent of the total.

The rocketing amount in motor possession spurs the rapid boom of the automobile market, reflecting the brisk economy and the improvement of the living standard in Beijing on one hand and on the other, the traffic becomes increasingly crowded since the road construction falls far behind its increase. From June 9 to June 15 the daily traffic flow of Beijing second ring road during rush hours averaged 5356 per hour in the morning and 5059 in the afternoon, and daily reports received by the "122" police center about traffic jams averaged over 100. On July 21 the flow during rush hours even doubled: reaching 10289 per hour in the morning and 9840 in the afternoon. Since July the daily reports about traffic jams average 371, while July 21 recorded 507.

Traffic control departments reckoned that with the motor possession number nearing 2 million, the transportation development and traffic control in Beijing will enter a new stage, while the present road nets will demonstrate an extremely fragile endurance for heavy traffic flows.

By PD Online Staff Zhu Lizhen

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