The number of vehicles allowed on Beijing's roads is to be
limited during next year's Olympics, and special routes have
already been mapped out to ease traffic flow, the Beijing
Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) said
yesterday.
Yu Chunquan, deputy chief of the BOCOG traffic administration
bureau, said in an interview on beijing2008.cn -- the Games'
official website -- that the routes will cover more than 200
km.
They will encompass parts of the second, fourth and fifth ring
roads, as well as selected other trunk routes, he said.
To ensure steady traffic flow, the new routes will occupy only
sections of these roads, in most cases the inner lane, Yu said.
Additional traffic restrictions might apply in and around sports
venues, he said.
While admitting the plan will have an impact on regular traffic
during the Olympics, which open a year from today, Yu said more
public transportation would be provided.
He said the authorities were considering increasing the number
of buses, opening new routes and extending the operating times of
both buses and the subway.
Yu said the details of how the restrictions will be applied were
yet to be decided, but could involve selecting vehicles by their
number plates or restricting car parking.
"It is international practice to impose traffic restrictions
during the Games and both options are being considered," he
said.
Wang Wei, an executive vice-president of the BOCOG, said even if
the city planned to limit the use of private cars, it should be
with the "will" of the people.
Beijing has a population of about 15 million and is home to more
than 3 million cars.
(China Daily August 8, 2007)