Congestion Problem in Beijing, China - Research Paper Example

Congestion Problem in Beijing, China Introduction Traffic jams are a major problem in many cities and towns worldwide. This problem is more pronounced in developing cities, and this has negative impacts on the affected cities and countries. China is one of the rapidly growing countries in the world, and traffic jams across its major cities are a common sight. This is congestion further aggravated by the sheer size of the country, which has more than 1.3 billion people. Beijing, the capital city of China, is among the leading urban areas worldwide, with a total pollution of about twenty million people. As a result, this city is characterized by heavy congestion, and has been given the name the ‘capital of congestion.’ This paper will attempt to highlight the causes of this congestion, its impact on pollution and the policy options that can be explored to deal with this problem. In addition, an overview of the parking problem in Beijing will also be given. Brief Overview of Beijing City This is the political center of China, and it is among the modern and dynamic cities in cities. In just over a decade, the population Beijing has grown by nearly 42 per cent to nearly 20 million people, and this makes it one of the fastest growing cities in the world (Feng, 2012). Unlike the previous years, the scene of bicycles as previously witnessed has been replaced with by parked cars and crowded subways. The number of registered automobiles grew from 1.9 million in 2002 to more than 5 million automobiles in 2012 (Feng, 2012). It is important to remember that Beijing has more than 15 subways and rail lines totaling to more than 450 kilometers, one of the longest in the world. Despite this, congestion is still a major problem. The question therefore remains, what causes this congestion? Causes of Congestion The congestion in this city is caused by a number of factors. First, there is the phenomenon of motor and non-motor vehicle mixed traffic (MNM) (Hua, et al, 2013). This is the case where traffic is characterized by both motor vehicles and other non-motor vehicles. In Beijing, there are a high number of bicycles, and this poses a major challenge to traffic management. It is difficult to control the bypassing of vehicles, pedestrians and cycles. This confusion disrupts the flow of traffic, leading to congestion. Secondly, congestion is caused by negative effects of static navigation. Static navigation is the lack of real time traffic data, but instead involves the use of map data (Hua, et al, 2013). Such data only gives the driver geographic information and location, but no information is given on the traffic. As a result, a person ends up taking up an already congested route when alternative one could be explored. The poor handling of minor traffic accidents further leads to congestion. Although the country has the ‘Road Traffic Safety Law’ that specifies how small accidents can be handled, very few people have knowledge of the traffic rules (Hua, et al, 2013). The handling of a minor accident thus takes a very long time, leading to traffic jams. Fourth, the public transport system has not been properly developed. For instance, compared to other cities in the world, Beijing is among those with the lowest traffic sharing rate and has the slowest traffic movement during peak times (Hua, et al, 2013). The city has an uneven distribution of public transport vehicles and the bus priority policy is not well implemented. Considering the high population in this city, the underdeveloped public transport system further contributes to the congestion. The parking problem in Beijing With the increasing number of vehicles in our cities today, the lack of adequate parking space is a major challenge. In Beijing, the case is not different. There is a disparity between parking facilities supply and the demand for parking. Since 2004, the total number of cars in this city grows by at least 0.3 million cars yearly (Liu, et al, 2012). Therefore, a person who previously parked his bicycle at home is now trying to get parking space for his car. The supply of parking facilities increases by a mere 0.1 million annually. Under the present circumstances, the demand for parking is not being met. In addition, the parking management in Beijing is poor. This leads to irregular parking in violation of the transport rules. The penalty for this irregular parking is at about 200 Yuan, and this is relatively low (Liu, et al, 2012). The parking problem in Beijing is so big that the city is ranked among the worst parking cities in the world. According to an article appearing in China Daily (2011,) most of the buildings in this city built in the 1990s lack the provision for underground parking. In addition, even the modern housing units do not sufficient parking facilities. This is one area that requires careful consideration by the city planners. Congestion and Air Pollution The heavy congestion in Beijing has significantly contributed to air pollution. Auto emissions are one of the major sources of air pollution. The emissions from vehicles contribute to more than 70% of the total CO and NOx levels in this city (Wu, et al, 2010). This has made Beijing one of the heavily polluted cities in the world. Studies conducted on air pollution in this city have confirmed that air pollution is no longer dominated by the burning of coal but rather a mix of vehicle emissions and coal burning. Studies have shown that the emissions in this city have been on the increase in the last twenty years. For instance, studies show that NOx and CO emissions increased by more than 40 per cent and 20 per cent respectively between 1991 and 1998 (Wu, et al, 2010). These increases have been attributed to the emissions from the ever growing number of automobiles in this city. This is worrying trend that clearly illustrates the enormous contribution of auto emissions on air pollution. There is need for proper strategies to be developed in order to deal with this problem. Policy Option to reduce the number of automobiles In an attempt to address the problem of congestion in Beijing city, a number of policy options have been explored. One of such policies has mainly focused on reducing the number of cars in this city (Wei, 2013). This policy is aimed at reducing emissions from the automobiles and at the same time ensuring that traffic jams are reduced. In November 2013, Beijing authorities announced their plans to reduce the total number of car plates and encourage residents to use the new-energy vehicles. Starting 2014 to 2017, the number of new cars is to be reduced from the current annual rate of 240000 cars to 150000 cars (Wei, 2013). According to this policy, only drivers who reside in Beijing permanently will be eligible to apply for these plates. In addition, immigrants who will have paid taxes in Beijing for at least five years will also be allowed to apply. According to the authorities, this policy will ensure that only 600000 cares will be added in the city in the next four years, and this will include more than 150000 new-energy vehicles (Wei, 2013). In addition, the number of gasoline cars will be reduced to 90000 by 2017. Reducing the number of gasoline vehicles is aimed at minimizing the emissions caused by automobiles in the city. The number of charging stations for electric cars will also be increased in order to encourage the use of such vehicles. These stations will also be built in residential areas in order to promote the popularity of electric cars. Conclusion Congestion is one of the major challenges faced by residents and city planners in Beijing. The rapid population growth and the increase in the number of automobiles have contributed significantly to this problem. In addition to slow traffic movement, the congestion contributes to air pollution in the city considerably. Currently, the available parking facilities are few and hence cannot meet the parking demands in this city. It is important for the relevant authorities to put strategies in place that will help increase the available parking spaces, improve the public transport system and upgrade the available transport facilities. In addition, the policy adopted by the authorities aimed at reducing the number of cars in the city is a major step towards addressing the congestion problem and at the same time cutting down on vehicle emissions. References Beijing’s Parking Problem (2011, April 2). China Daily. Retrieved from http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2011-04/02/content_12270087.htm Feng, W (2012). Beijing as a Globally Fluent City. Pp. 1-16. Brookings-Tsinghua Center for Public Policy & Global Cities Initiative: A Joint Project of Brookings and JPMorgan Chase. Hua, S., Wang, J., & Zhu, Y (2013). Cause Analysis and Countermeasures of Beijing city Congestion. 13th COTA International Conference of Transportation Professionals (CICTP 2013). Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 96, pp. 1426 – 1432 Liu, Y et al (2012). Metropolis Parking Problems and Management Planning Solutions for Traffic Operation Effectiveness. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, (2012): pp. 1-6. Wei, X (2013, November 29). Beijing cuts number of new cars. China Daily. Retrieved from http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-11/29/content_17138933.htm Wu, Y et al (2010).On-Road Vehicle Emission Control in Beijing: Past, Present, and Future. Environmental Science and Technology, XXXX(XXX). Read More