Beijing Bans Driving for 1 Million Cars a Day

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First, China institutes a "one child per family" rule, in an effort to reduce its population, now, they're banning driving for over ONE MILLION cars per day.

With the one-year countdown (last week) until the start of the Olympics in Beijing, efforts are under way to improve air quality, traffic congestion, and other problems visitors will face. The city has been shrouded in a smog-haze for weeks, with visibility reduced to only a few hundred yards at times. Officials hope the four-day experiment to reduce emissions from vehicles will give the air over the city a chance to improve.

Beijing is considered to be one of the world's most polluted cities, thanks in part to the more than 3-million cars that drive there every day. The plan calls for cars with license plate numbers ending in an even number not to drive on Friday and Sunday; those with odd numbers are banned from driving on Saturday and Monday. The fine for driving on the wrong day is 100 yuan, or about $13.

Commuters were frustrated as they tried to use public transit to get to work. The system quickly became overburdened with approximately 2-million additional commuters attempting to take the subway or bus as their alternative.

"I cannot believe it is so crowded, two trains have just passed and I just could not squeeze myself on," said businessman Wang Xindong, who normally drives to work but found himself stuck at an inner-city subway station.

Taxis were not included in the driving ban, and one taxi driver took to the streets early, anticipating busier-than-normal demand for his services.
However he was surprised that the traffic had eased only marginally.

"The traffic is okay, but not as good as I expected," he said. "We all know this car ban is just a show for the Olympics, a superficial phenomenon."

A Beijing city official said he expected the four-day driving ban to cut emissions by 40 percent.