How determined is Beijing to 'cut' private cars?

Traveling in Beijing, China used to be a "nightmare" for people because of traffic jams that lasted for hours.

Cars line up in a traffic jam in China - Photo: glitta

Traffic jam 12 days and nights

In August 2010, there was a traffic jam here that lasted for 12 days. Thousands of trucks and cars were stuck on the nearly 100km long road.

The vehicles only travel a few kilometers a day, forcing drivers to eat and rest in their vehicles. Food is sold at exorbitant prices by street vendors.

After the terrible traffic jam in 2010, the Beijing city government began implementing policies to reduce the number of private vehicles and encourage people to switch to public transport.

Since 2011, emergency medical centers in Beijing have required staff to use motorcycles instead of ambulances to reach victims in time and help reduce traffic jams.

Also in this year, for the first time, the government set vehicle registration quotas, helping to reduce the number of newly registered vehicles by 70% compared to 2010.

In addition, vehicles are divided into five groups based on the last two digits of their license plate numbers. Each group is banned from driving on a certain route for one day from Monday to Friday. Those who deliberately violate and drive on the prohibited route will be severely punished.

This regulation helps reduce the number of cars on the streets, while forcing people to use public transport on days when they are banned from driving.

According to a 2011 China Daily article, the city government also divided the streets into three different groups based on the level of congestion that occurs during rush hour.

On busy commercial streets where traffic jams often occur, drivers will have to pay very high parking fees. The longer they park, the higher the fee.

Less crowded but still congested routes will have slightly lower parking fees, while open routes will have the lowest prices.

The city government also set new parking rates. Cars parked on the street will be charged a high fee. Meanwhile, if drivers are willing to park their cars in underground parking lots, they will only have to pay a low parking fee.

According to data from the Beijing Transport Research Center (BTRC), the regulations had a noticeable effect just three months after they were implemented.

27% of traffic participants reduced the frequency of using personal vehicles, switching to public transport; the rate of parking on the roads decreased by 12%; 20% of drivers looked for parking spaces on roads with low parking fees, i.e. open areas with less congestion.

In 2013, BTRC, in collaboration with the World Bank, organized a symposium to gather opinions from experts from countries and territories facing similar traffic problems to Beijing, such as South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, the US, and Japan.

Technology application

In recent years, as smartphones have become increasingly popular devices, app developers have begun to use technology to solve traffic problems.

In November 2013, the Beijing Transport Information Center launched a mobile application that allows bus passengers to track routes, stops, and distances between buses in real time.

This application also helps passengers estimate travel time and the exact location of the bus on the map to be more proactive in choosing their means of transportation.

In 2014, digital security company Gemalto teamed up with China Mobile to develop an automated ticket checking app that allows 22 million passengers in Beijing to take buses and subways more conveniently.

This application helps replace paper tickets, faster and simpler than the traditional method of buying tickets and paying in cash.

In June 2015, the startup EasyParking also developed software to help drivers find parking spaces without having to drive around the streets, and pay parking fees online.

These amenities help people feel more comfortable when using public transport, while reducing the number of private vehicles in circulation.

In addition, the Beijing government also strives to improve infrastructure and enhance the quality of public services.

Earlier this year, the Beijing Transport Commission said that from 2016 to 2020, it would implement a number of new policies, including congestion charging, public transport fare discounts for passengers traveling outside peak hours, and the opening of 1,000km of additional bus lanes.

According to Tuoi Tre