Drivers from other parts of the country will no longer have to
worry about getting lost traveling in Beijing with the help of an
itinerary map.
Beijing Times reports a mechanism aimed at easing
traveling inconveniences for outsiders of Beijing will start in
March at all 16 checkpoints entering the city. As long as the
drivers tell the police their destination, the police will print
out a free itinerary map that leads the way from the checkpoint to
their destination.
On the map, drivers can find driving routes, distance, urban
traffic network information, as well as the number and type of
their automobiles. An official with the Beijing Traffic Management
Bureau, Jiang Jinhui, says the itinerary on the map is the shortest
and the most efficient.
The service is based on a route-seeking system that compiles
routes according to different automobile types and the traffic
situation. The official warns that drivers must tell the police
their automobile type in case some types of automobiles are banned
in some areas because of traffic control.
A recent survey shows that more than half of drivers from
outside of Beijing are not familiar with the routes in Beijing and
eight out of ten want the free itinerary guidance service.
(CRI February 27, 2007)