China - No Plans To Extend Traffic Control Measures Once Games End - Reuters

[hatrack]

Have fun!!!

BEIJING (Reuters) - Olympic host city Beijing has no plans to extend traffic control measures that have seen half the cars taken off the roads past the Games, despite their success at curbing pollution and congestion, an official said on Wednesday. But Zhou Zhengyu, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Committee of Communications, added he hoped citizens would continue talking public transport of their own will and leave their cars at home voluntarily once the Olympics finish.

Under the rules, in force from July 20 to September 20, cars are banned on alternate days depending on whether their license plates end in odd or even numbers, part of emergency steps taken by Beijing to ease smog levels that could affect athletes.

"These restrictive steps, we have called temporary measures," Zhou told a news conference. "At present, we will stick to the measures as announced."

Many who first complained the restrictions were inconvenient, especially car owners, now realize taking public transport is not so bad after all, as the benefits to the environment can so clearly be seen in the reduction in pollution, he added.

EDIT

http://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUSPEK25099320080813

[On the Road]

1. Beijing Set Up a Network of Bus Lanes

in the middle of major streets that should help relive traffic. They are fenced off and need to be accessed by overpasses. You buy tickets in advance, so boarding is very fast.

I was in Beijing three years ago, and it took 45 minutes from get from a West Beijing suburb to downtown on a bus. Traffic jams everywhere. Eighteen months later, the same trip took about ten minutes.