Public transport pledge to reduce urban gridlock
Source: Xinhua |
January 6, 2013, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
The Chinese government has vowed to introduce more measures to prioritize the development of public transport systems in the country's increasingly congested urban areas.
In downtown areas, there should be a bus stop every 500 meters. The use of public transport should account for 60 percent of motor vehicle use, said the statement by the State Council, China's cabinet, released yesterday on the Chinese government official website, www.gov.cn.
Airport shuttle buses, school buses and shuttle buses for specific institutions can use public transport lanes, and more efforts will be made to improve the taxi booking system, it added.
According to the statement, until 2015, public transport vehicles will be exempt from consumption tax and enjoy favorable rates in vehicle and vessel tax and electricity charges. They will also receive diesel subsidies.
Roads have become overcrowded in Chinese cities, especially mega-cities like Beijing and Shanghai, due to the explosion in car ownership.
According to a survey on daily commutes conducted by IBM in 2011, Beijing has the second worst traffic jams in the world, after Mexico City. Shenzhen, in southern Guangdong Province ranked third.
Local governments have taken measures to cope with traffic congestion in major cities, including instituting a license plate lottery to curb the number of new vehicles allowed on the roads each year and schemes that keeps cars off roads on certain days based on license plate numbers.
Tougher traffic rules took effect this month but gridlock remains.
In downtown areas, there should be a bus stop every 500 meters. The use of public transport should account for 60 percent of motor vehicle use, said the statement by the State Council, China's cabinet, released yesterday on the Chinese government official website, www.gov.cn.
Airport shuttle buses, school buses and shuttle buses for specific institutions can use public transport lanes, and more efforts will be made to improve the taxi booking system, it added.
According to the statement, until 2015, public transport vehicles will be exempt from consumption tax and enjoy favorable rates in vehicle and vessel tax and electricity charges. They will also receive diesel subsidies.
Roads have become overcrowded in Chinese cities, especially mega-cities like Beijing and Shanghai, due to the explosion in car ownership.
According to a survey on daily commutes conducted by IBM in 2011, Beijing has the second worst traffic jams in the world, after Mexico City. Shenzhen, in southern Guangdong Province ranked third.
Local governments have taken measures to cope with traffic congestion in major cities, including instituting a license plate lottery to curb the number of new vehicles allowed on the roads each year and schemes that keeps cars off roads on certain days based on license plate numbers.
Tougher traffic rules took effect this month but gridlock remains.
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