A Chinese energy expert has suggested Beijing restricts the use
of private cars and improves and expands public transport to
achieve a sustainable development.
"The government should restrict private car use by economic
means, but not by administrative or quantitative means," said Zha
Daojiong, director of the Center for International Energy Security
with the People's University of China.
He explained that the government should raise the cost of
driving private cars, such as lifting oil prices and other charges,
to restrict private cars, but not simply cut the number of private
cars through imposing restrictions on car emissions.
"The capital city should also greatly boost public transport,"
he said.
Zha's views have been echoed by a local transport official.
"Beijing does not have policies to restrict the purchase or use
of private cars for the time being, but that does not mean private
cars can be used without restrictions," Liu Xiaoming, deputy
director of the Beijing Municipal Transportation Commission,
said.
However, Liu did not elaborate on any possible restrictions.
Liu said the city would greatly develop public transport and
improve services in 2007 in a bid to make public transport more
rapid, convenient and comfortable, and more appealing to the
public.
By the end of November 2006, Beijing had 2.85 million vehicles,
including two million private cars, and the number is increasing by
1,000 every day. The number is expected to reach 3.25 million in
2008 and 3.8 million in 2010, according to the Beijing Municipal
Transportation Commission.
The proportion of private cars used for commuting increased from
23.2 percent in 2000 to 29.8 percent in 2005, while the percentage
of commuters using public transport rose relatively slowly from
26.5 to 29.8 percent.
The city aimed to raise the proportion of citizens choosing
public transport to more than 40 percent by 2010, Liu said.
It would raise the number of buses from 18,000 to 19,000 and
21,000 by 2010, and extend the metro from the present 114 km to at
least 270 km, he said.
(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2007)
