Society

Clearing the way for the sessions

By Chen Xin (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-02-28 08:06

BEIJING - The capital will adopt temporary measures to restrict vehicles registered outside Beijing from using the city's roads from Monday to ensure smooth traffic flow during the upcoming two sessions of the country's top legislature and political advisory body.

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Traffic authorities in Beijing will stop granting long-term passes for vehicles registered in other places during the period when the annual sessions of the National People's Congress and the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference are to be held in the capital. The measures, which start on Monday and last until March 15, also ban vehicles carrying hazardous chemicals from entering the city, the Beijing traffic management bureau said over the weekend in a statement posted on its website.

Drivers of vehicles from outside the city will be granted short-term passes only after they provide a certificate to show that their vehicles have passed a road-worthiness test and a warrant that they have bought compulsory motor insurance, the Beijing News quoted a traffic policeman with Beijing's Bailu tollgate as saying on Sunday.

Drivers normally only have to show their driver's license and vehicle's driving permit if they want to apply for a pass, the police said.

Buses from outside the city will be allowed to stay in the city for seven days, and trucks for three days.

In addition, 24-hour inspection posts will be set up to check if vehicles are using fake car plates, carrying hazardous materials, or are overloaded, according to the bureau. Violators will not be allowed to enter Beijing if they cannot immediately remedy the violations.

The bureau also said it will cooperate with traffic authorities in neighboring provinces and municipalities such as Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong to ensure strict inspection of vehicles that enter Beijing during the two sessions period.

In addition, vehicles from other cities will also have to adhere to the capital's regular measures, which excludes one-fifth of cars from the roads during weekdays according to the last number of car license plates, and a measure that forbids vehicles registered elsewhere from entering beyond the capital's Fifth Ring Road during peak hours, said the bureau.

But a green light will be given to police cars and vehicles carrying critically ill patients as well as trucks transporting daily necessities such as vegetables, eggs, meat, and livestock to Beijing.

The bureau suggested drivers from other places arrange their travel schedule to avoid unnecessary travel to the capital during the two sessions.

Hebei public security department said on Saturday that it will strengthen efforts to crack down on traffic violations and set up emergency response mechanisms to deal with possible bad weather to ensure smooth traffic on expressways linking the province and the capital.