Some officials are calling for improved road infrastructure to ease congestion. (Photo : Getty Images)
Beijing officials are considering a number of programs to help curb congestion in the capital, according to an article by China Daily. New measures are expected to be released by the local city government before April 10, when Beijing's current traffic restrictions end.
One option is to sell automobile license plates in an auction instead of the lottery system. Market-based reform programs are also being considered by the city's transportation department.
As of now, no clear plan has been released by Beijing city officials.
"The final plan has not been made yet," said Rong Jun, spokesman of the Beijing municipal commission of transport, in an interview with China Daily. "But there are many measures that can be used for reference, such as the car plate auctions in Shanghai."
"We have put forward different adjustments several times in the past, but the original measure has ended up being kept every time as we consider residents have gotten used to it," Rong added.
Residents like 32-year-old Cassie Zhang are ready to welcome the new regulation with open arms, if ever it gets to be implemented. Zhang believes that the license plate auction would be a far more reliable method than the current lottery system.
"You will get a car as long as you have money to bet," said Zhang, who included her name on the lottery list last year. She hopes to win in the lottery to get a second car for her family.
Restrictions shouldn't be the only solution to ease congestion in the city, however, with some officials calling for improved road infrastructure.
"The government should think about how to create good rules for society, not limit it," said Shi Jianhua, deputy secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
An optimized road network will help solve congestion, added Shi, saying that the government shouldn't deprive people of their right to own and drive a car.
Through the current traffic restrictions employed by the city, one-fifth of the vehicles in Beijing are not allowed to enter the streets on a weekday based on their license plate number.
