Busy traffic a growing problem

By Todd Balazovic (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-27 09:31

With the bellowing winds of winter blowing and people less willing to walk or bike, I've noticed a massive increase in the amount of time it takes to travel via taxi in Beijing. The change in pace has given me much time to observe Beijing's rising traffic culture.

On Tuesday, the Beijing traffic management bureau released the lastest statistics showing that nearly 2,100 new cars were registered in Beijing every day, almost triple the reported 750 per day that was the rate a few years ago. And it shows.

The cars that clog the ring roads shine as though they were driven off the dealership lots. They all look new. There is no beat up 1989 Ford Taurus contending for space with barely operational early 90s Mercury Grand Marqius, a common site on the streets of Anywhere, USA. Instead, there's shimmering black Audis trudging side by side with the stop-and-go rhythm of ring road traffic, a true sign of the city's prosperity.

What happens if the 2,100 new cars per day rate continues to grow? Will there be a moment when every registered vehicle in Beijing simultaneously descends onto the ring roads, making what little traffic movement there is to cease and forcing drivers to get out and walk? Think: street scene in Godzilla with fewer frightened screams and more angry mumbles.

Despite the growing number of new cars and equally increasing amount of new drivers, traffic accidents still seem to be few and far between. It's a rare site to see a serious accident on the roads. Not to say they don't exist, but with 5.64 million drivers in the city I would have thought it would be a frequent sight. I credit this more to the fact that in order to get in a serious accident, you have to be going more than 10 mph, something that rarely occurs on the ring roads.

Then there's the pollution concern. While pollution from vehicles is a concern in most major cities, Beijing included, I make the argument that having the streets lined with new vehicles, vehicles that must meet modern emissions standards, is a step up from clunkers spitting out black smoke.

Keep in mind, there are old cars on the streets, but new and improved models are quickly replacing them.

There have been increased attempts at regulating ring road traffic. It started last year with the Olympic regulations for alternating drive days depending on the last number of your license plate.

Now, efforts are being made to limit the amount of large trucks that can occupy the Beijing's main transit veins during the day. Both efforts of traffic monitoring I commend, but with the potential 2,100 new cars a day, I think bigger efforts are in order.

As to what should be done - I don't know. A new ring road? Fewer registered cars? A carpool lane? Limiting the number of cars that can be owned by one family? All of these ideas don't seem strong enough to combat the clog. For me, my solution is simple: if you don't like the traffic, take the subway.