The Chinese government is urgently seeking ways to ease traffic in Beijing as cars multiply by the millions, clogged roads undermine productivity and the 2008 Olympics draw nearer, the official news agency said yesterday.
The number of cars on the Chinese capital's traffic-clogged streets has surpassed 2 million -- and is expected to grow by at least 3 million more in the next few years, the Xinhua News Agency said.
Beijing recorded a total of 16,789 traffic jams last year, Xinhua said. It didn't specify exactly what counted as a traffic jam. But, it lamented, rush hour is "actually consuming 11 hours of the day."
"Beijing residents often joke that the time they spend on the way to work often turns out to be longer than their actual working hours," Xinhua said.
Duan Liren, former deputy director of Beijing's Traffic Control Bureau, said 1 million more vehicles hit Beijing's streets in the past seven years and an additional 3 million -- minimum -- are expected in the next few years.
Beijing's roads are struggling to keep up: The city government has spent more than 10 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion) annually since 2000 upgrading roads and adding more than 2,000km of roads inside the city limits.
Population growth -- an increase of 3.8 million people in the past decade -- has also pushed the number of drivers up sharply. The government also blames "Beijing's urban design layout."
"Many government offices, shopping centers and large enterprises are located in the downtown area of Beijing, while most of their employees live far away and even in the suburban areas," Xinhua said. "It has become a major burden on the local public transportation system."
Xinhua said the Beijing government is considering encouraging citizens to use public transportation and car pools more. The agency, quoting "government sources," also said Beijing plans a policy of charging different parking fees for different vehicles, with private cars being required to pay more.
And He Zuoxiu, a scholar at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, suggests public transit be expanded and "integrated" to help people move around more conveniently.
"For example, bus stations should be placed at or near subway entrances and exits to make it easier for those who need to take more than one public transportation on their outings," He was quoted as saying.
School bullies in Singapore are to face caning under new guidelines, but the education minister on Tuesday said it would be meted out only as a last resort with strict safeguards. Human rights groups regularly criticize Singapore for the use of corporal punishment, which remains part of the school and criminal justice systems, but authorities have defended it as a deterrent to crime and serious misconduct. Caning was discussed in the parliament after legislators asked how it would be used in relation to bullying in schools. The debate followed stricter guidelines on serious student misconduct, including bullying, unveiled by the Singaporean Ministry of
As evening falls in Fiji’s capital, a steady stream of people approaches a makeshift clinic that is a first line of defense against one of the world’s fastest-growing HIV epidemics. In the South Pacific nation — a popular tourist destination of just under a million people — more than 2,000 new HIV cases were recorded last year, a 26 percent increase from 2024. The government has declared an HIV outbreak and described it as a national crisis. “It’s spreading like wildfire,” said Siteri Dinawai, 46, who came to be tested. The Moonlight Clinic, a converted minibus parked in a suburban cul-de-sac in Suva, is
A MESSAGE: Japan’s participation in the Balikatan drills is a clear deterrence signal to China not to attack Taiwan while the US is busy in the Middle East, an analyst said The Japan Self-Defense Forces yesterday fired a Type 88 anti-ship missile during a joint maritime exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces, hitting a decommissioned Philippine Navy ship in waters facing the disputed South China Sea, in drills that underscore Tokyo’s rising willingness to project military power on China’s doorstep. The drill took place as Manila and Tokyo began talks on a potential defense equipment transfer, made possible by Japan’s decision to scrap restrictions on military exports. The discussions include the possible early transfer of Abukuma-class destroyers and TC-90 aircraft to the Philippines, Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said. Philippine Secretary of
Separatists in Alberta are preparing to submit a petition tomorrow that they said has enough signatures to force a referendum on independence for the oil-rich Canadian province. Polls indicate the pro-independence camp remains a minority among Alberta’s 5 million people, but has hit a historic high of roughly 30 percent. Alberta separatists are also closer than ever to forcing a referendum, riding momentum fueled by intensifying grievances over Ottawa’s control of the provincial oil industry. They have also undeniably gotten a boost from the return to power of US President Donald Trump. After launching a petition in January, Stay Free Alberta, the group
RSS