Economy

Beijing's new traffic rules trigger hot debate

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-12-11 15:35

According to Beijing Transportation Research Center research, the city will have 7 million motor vehicles before 2015. At that time, car speed will be 15 km per hour, which is equal to the speed of an easy jog.

Of the 667 Chinese cities, about two-thirds of them suffer traffic congestion during peak hour.

Analysts say inadequate city planning and population growth are the major causes of urban traffic congestion.

Wu Liangyong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said the increasing number of super-sized residential communities is another possible reason for traffic jams.

Related readings:  Coordination the cure for ailing road network  License plate rule keeps cars off streets  Beijing stuck in severe traffic jams  Beijing traffic seizes up under rising pressure

Zhang Xianfeng, an analyst at the Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning and Design, suggests companies and government move some business districts to satellite cities.

Zhang thinks public resources should be distributed evenly in accordance with population distribution.

Other experts have ideas too.

Yin Qiang, a professor at the School of Journalism and Communication of the Renmin University of China, said the government should encourage people to work from home.

"With a laptop and a network cable, people can easily connect with the world and telecommute," Yin said.