Car-free day for 108 Chinese cities

108 cities in China were involved in a campaign with the theme of ‘Green Transport and Health’ to ease traffic congestion in the cities. The cities set one or more zones open only to pedestrians, cyclists, taxis and buses between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The illustration gives a rough idea of the change this can bring. Top picture shows the system working; bottom picture normal congestion.

In southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, citizens have been called on to ‘walk quickly one kilometer a day’ by the sports bureau.

In Beijing, 176 kilometers of public transportation lanes have been put into use, which shall be lengthened to 250 kilometers by the end of this year, bringing the average speed of buses from 14 kilometers per hour to 20 kilometers during rush hour. And twenty-three new bus lines have gone into service.

So serious attempts are being made to stop congestion and pollution.

However, Guangzhou, city with a population of more than ten million people and one million cars, rejected Public Transportation Week.

An unnamed official with the municipal government said, ‘Limiting the use of cars is not practical in the city.’ Plainly the official knows nothing of London and Ken Livingstone. Perhaps it should be more widely publicised.