The gridlock in Beijing is getting worse. At any time during the day, bumper-to-bumper traffic means frustration, pollution and lost productivity. Public complaints are loud and furious. So much so, people are predicting that the political future of acting mayor Wang Qishan hangs on his ability to tackle the congestion.
Mr Wang, admired for his effective handling of the Sars crisis, admitted that the traffic was his biggest headache. In 1996, Beijing had one million motor vehicles. Today, that figure has doubled, causing great embarrassment to city planners, who had projected in 2000 that the two-million mark would be reached in 2010. Beijing has 1.28 million private cars, and that number is rising by 30,000 per month. If the trend continues, the city will be paralysed in 2008 for the Olympic Games.
Owning a car is a dream for the emerging middle class, bringing a lifestyle of mobility and freedom. Ironically, soaring car ownership means diminished movement for all.
The harder it is to get around in the city, the greater a person's desire to escape. Preying on this psychology, carmakers are successfully promoting Sports Utility Vehicles. (SUVs).
The sale of SUVs was slow to take off, but the pace quickened this year. In the first 10 months, more than 104,500 were bought, compared with 98,000 for the whole of last year. Yet, despite China's growing dependence on oil imports, conservation and fuel efficiency have rarely been mentioned. The prices for petrol and diesel are kept artificially low to protect fishermen and taxi drivers. As a result, private car owners are getting a free ride.
Some argue that with the sprawling urban development, cars have become a necessity for many who cannot afford to live in the city. So far, the idea of car pooling is alien.
