Traffic would be a major challenge for Beijing to host the 2008
Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
members said Saturday.
Peter Tallberg, Chairman of the IOC Athlete's Commission,
expressed his concerns on the road congestion in Beijing when being
asked what the 2008 Olympic host city should pay special attention
to.
"One problem which we all realize now in Beijing would be
traffic, so that's one of the big problems for you," the ex-Olympic
Dutch sailor told Xinhua.
Tallberg is paying a visit to Changsha, together with six other
IOC members, at the invitation of the Fifth Chinese City Games
Organizing Committee. He has been to Beijing many times on business
although it's his first time to visit the central Chinese city.
The IOC member since 1976, however, also expressed optimism on
the Beijing organizing committee's capability and suggested that
traffic control would be of help.
Though many new roads have been built or streets been widened
over recent years especially after Beijing won the 2008 Olympics,
Beijingers are also buying more cars. By August this year, there
had been a total of two million automobiles registered in Beijing,
of which some 800,000 are private cars, according to the Beijing
Municipal Traffic Commission.
As a result, traffic jam remains a big headache for the Chinese
capital. In the rush hour, it takes three or four times longer to
drive downtown.
Wu Ching-Kuo, IOC member from Chinese Taipei, echoed Tallberg's
comment.
"The problem can't be settled only by road construction.
Measures to control car-driving or some limitations are also
needed," he said.
Wu, also a member of the coordination commission for the 2008
Olympic Games, takes charge of the engineering and construction
section of the commission. Earlier this week, he attended a meeting
in Beijing to evaluate its venue construction.
Cokmel Antonio Rodrigrez, the president of the Argentine Olympic
Committee, stayed in Beijing for three days to advise on its
preparation work for 2008 before flying to Changsha. He thought of
the traffic problem as a common concern for international
metropolis.
"On this matter, Beijing could draw on the successful experience
of Sydney, which did a good job in traffic management for the 2000
Olympic Games," he said.
The Beijing Municipal Traffic Commission, headed by Zhao Wenzhi,
has proposed a 10-point suggestion to tackle the city's worsening
traffic situation.
According to Zhao's report presented to the Beijing Municipal
People's Congress on late September, Beijing in the next few years
may raise the charges for license plates of private cars, and also
impose a so-called "road congestion fee" on private car owners.
The proposal met strong opposition and criticism from many
private car owners, as well as some leading traffic experts
including Professor Mao Baohua, vice-president of the School of
Traffic and Transportation of the Beijing Jiaotong University.
The opposers asserted that the limitation measures would exert a
very negative impact on the auto industry, which plays an important
role in boosting the country's domestic demand.
China's Tenth Five-Year Plan (2001-2005) for National Economic
and Social Development encourages Chinese families to buy private
cars. Many Chinese provinces and regions have endorsed car-making
as a "pillar industry" in the local economy.
(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2003)