Drivers count the real cost of cars
Source: Xinhua |
August 7, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WITH help from his parents, Li Xuejun, a high school teacher in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, bought his first car after graduating from college in 2008 -- but it's brought him more trouble than enjoyment.
Rush-hour horrors on the road and difficulty finding a parking place have always been a major problem for Li, as it has been for the other tens of millions of car owners in China, the world's fastest-growing car market that surged nearly 48 percent in the first half of 2010.
"To avoid traffic jams I leave home for the office at 6am," two hours before work begins at 8am, said Li, who lives in a suburb normally an hour's drive from his downtown school.
"And when I finish work each day at 5pm, I usually choose to stay in the office an hour longer so I can miss the congestion," Li said.
On a typical afternoon at East Chaoyang Street in Changchun, one of China's second-tier cities, cars crawl at a snail's pace as drivers blast their horns in growing impatience.
In China's capital city, Beijing, where the number of vehicles exceeded 4 million as of November last year, cars are not traveling at a comfortable speed, even on the wide 10-lane Chang'an Avenue.
"As more cars hit the road each day across cities in the world's largest auto market, the most notable issues that arise are road congestion and limited parking spaces," said Ge Baoshan, professor with Jilin University, who studies automobile economics.
Li said he and friends drove to a shopping mall one Sunday but ended up returning home without buying anything as they couldn't find a place to park and the journey took them two hours.
China's total number of on-road vehicles reached 63 million in 2009. A previous official estimate expects the number to rise to 75 million this year.
This target looks easily reached as the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers figures showed the country sold more than 9 million autos in the first half of the year.
"Limited energy, resources and a worsening environment are making us worried, but we can't abandon cars because people have the need and economic growth relies on it," said Zhong Zhihua, professor with Hunan University, at a forum during the 7th China International Automobile Fair being held in Changchun.
Rush-hour horrors on the road and difficulty finding a parking place have always been a major problem for Li, as it has been for the other tens of millions of car owners in China, the world's fastest-growing car market that surged nearly 48 percent in the first half of 2010.
"To avoid traffic jams I leave home for the office at 6am," two hours before work begins at 8am, said Li, who lives in a suburb normally an hour's drive from his downtown school.
"And when I finish work each day at 5pm, I usually choose to stay in the office an hour longer so I can miss the congestion," Li said.
On a typical afternoon at East Chaoyang Street in Changchun, one of China's second-tier cities, cars crawl at a snail's pace as drivers blast their horns in growing impatience.
In China's capital city, Beijing, where the number of vehicles exceeded 4 million as of November last year, cars are not traveling at a comfortable speed, even on the wide 10-lane Chang'an Avenue.
"As more cars hit the road each day across cities in the world's largest auto market, the most notable issues that arise are road congestion and limited parking spaces," said Ge Baoshan, professor with Jilin University, who studies automobile economics.
Li said he and friends drove to a shopping mall one Sunday but ended up returning home without buying anything as they couldn't find a place to park and the journey took them two hours.
China's total number of on-road vehicles reached 63 million in 2009. A previous official estimate expects the number to rise to 75 million this year.
This target looks easily reached as the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers figures showed the country sold more than 9 million autos in the first half of the year.
"Limited energy, resources and a worsening environment are making us worried, but we can't abandon cars because people have the need and economic growth relies on it," said Zhong Zhihua, professor with Hunan University, at a forum during the 7th China International Automobile Fair being held in Changchun.
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