Beijing's streets are being filled by traffic again as the hard-hit
city is getting back to normal as the number of
SARS
cases continues to decrease.
The traffic flow of main roads at peak hours in Beijing increased
10 per cent on average compared with one week ago, a rise which
amounts to the drop in percentage of the number of people who think
the SARS epidemic here was still "very serious" in a recent
survey.
Although the current flow of traffic is only just over half of that
in March, police on the roads had to deal with increasing traffic
accidents and jams, after weeks in which the capital's 13 million
people feared to go out and the streets were almost empty.
Traffic accidents in the Second and Third Ring roads increased by
17 percent and traffic jams soared 40 percent last week, according
to statistics from the Beijing Traffic Administration.
The administration forecast that the traffic flow would continue
increasing this week as more residents are heading outdoors.
Although drivers may not like to snarl up streets in congestion,
the increasing traffic flow is a sign of reviving confidence in the
capital city.
Beijing yesterday logged five new confirmed SARS cases, the lowest
among the smallest daily totals since April.
As
infections ebb, the once-empty streets of Beijing are now full of
life again as more people go out of their homes for shopping,
dining, and entertainment.
Nearly 5,000 private cars crammed the parking lots near the
Fragrant Hilsl, a famous scenic spot west of the capital, nearly
double the volume year-on-year.
The city's buses witnessed more than 80,000 daily bus journeys last
week, the highest since the outbreak of SARS. Meanwhile, the number
of passengers in a bus also soared with fewer people wearing
masks.
In
order to prevent the deadly virus in buses, the city's Public
Transportation Corporation will increase the frequency of bus
journeys to ensure that the volume of passengers is under 50 per
cent of the full load.
Moreover, the corporation restructured 200-plus buses whose windows
were sealed, and buses with air conditioners were urged to open all
their windows when using the cooling facilities.
So
far, the corporation has invested more than 10 million yuan (US$1.2
million) in bus disinfection, and no people were infected with the
killer virus when they took buses, according to Zheng Shusen,
president of the corporation.
(China Daily May 27, 2003)