Limiting the use of private cars is not a good solution to the traffic problem, says an article in Guangzhou Daily. The following is an excerpt:

Wang Fengwu, an official from the Ministry of Construction, hoped 50 percent of residents in major cities would use public transportation so that traffic in these cities could be improved.

One of the incentives, he mentioned, was to make it more costly to use private automobiles, like raising parking fees or increasing the price of license plates.

This official is right to encourage more use of public transportation, but his suggestions are not good.

Of course, fewer people will purchase automobiles if they are more costly to maintain. But it would also result in a lot of negative effects.

In many major Chinese cities, the public transportation system is not well planned or established. The buses are crowded at peak times, and it takes hours to travel within the city. As a result, many choose to buy their own cars to save the hassle of trying to squeeze into an already full subway car.

It affects social justice or even threatens stability when only the rich would be able to afford to use private cars and the less well-off park their cars at home and take public transportation.

To encourage the use of public transportation, a simple solution is to improve its appeal.

(China Daily September 13, 2007)