BIZCHINA / Biz Life
No-Car Day adopted by 250,000
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-11-02 10:54
More than 250,000 drivers in Beijing have promised to leave their cars at
home for at least one day during the China-Africa forum to ease traffic
congestion and improve air quality.
The drivers are from 476 organizations, including 380 drivers' clubs and
28 private and overseas-funded businesses, said Wang Xiaoming, of the
Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau.
A random sample survey released by the Beijing Social Psychology
Institute on Tuesday shows more than 80 percent of drivers in the city's
eight urban districts have heard of the "no car day" campaign, and 42.3
percent voiced "strong support," hoping it would improve traffic and air
conditions.
The survey also shows half of the drivers who promised to leave their
cars at home will choose buses or subways to travel during the Forum on
China-Africa Cooperation from yesterday through Sunday, which will
attract 40 African state leaders.
To ensure smooth traffic for the forum, Beijing will restrict use of
vehicles belonging to government departments and state-owned enterprises,
and shorten school hours to ease traffic congestion, the Beijing
Transportation Committee has said.
Half of Beijing's army and central government vehicles and 80 percent of
Beijing municipal government department cars will be banned from city
roads during the forum, the committee said.
The plan is understood to be a practical rehearsal for traffic
arrangements during the 2008 Olympics.
Meanwhile, Beijing will increase bus and subway train services to ease
traffic congestion in the period, the committee said.
A city with a population of about 16 million, Beijing now has 500,000
company cars and two million private vehicles.
The "no car day" campaign urges drivers to leave their cars at home at
least one day each month.
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