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24 December 2010
Last updated at 00:32 ET
New rules have taken effect in China that restrict car purchases in an effort to combat serious traffic woes in the capital, Beijing.
The city authorities announced on Thursday that 240,000 cars would be registered by lottery in 2011 - a mere one-third of this year's total.
Car buyers have been swamping dealers in anticipation of the new rules.
Traffic in Beijing, and related air pollution, is among the worst in the world.
Officials said the new rules would not solve the full extent of the city's problems, only slow the down the rate at which they are worsening.
"It will be difficult to dramatically improve the traffic situation in a short time," said Liu Xiaoming, deputy director of the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau.
"But it can slow down the pace of worsening traffic congestion.
"We will experience congestion, alleviation measures, congestion and alleviation measures," he said.
Xinhua state news agency reports that Beijing's vice mayor in charge of traffic, Huang Wei, has been re-assigned to the far western region of Xinjiang.
Scepticism Residents say that Beijing's streets sometimes resemble parking lots; a record 140 traffic jams were recorded on one evening in September.
A spectacular 120km (75-mile) long traffic jam struck on the Beijing to Tibet route in early September, only a week after another 100km (62-mile) jam had been cleared in the same area.
Nearly 90% of the new licence plates will be allocated for residents; people driving cars into Beijing from other areas will need permits to do so.
Government departments will not be allowed to increase the size of their fleets for five years.
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
The official Xinhua News Agency said 30,000 new vehicles were registered in the past week alone, at least three times the normal rate.
"I heard that they were going to change the policy, so I wanted to buy this before the year was over, because the new policy will be announced soon." one buyer named Mr Yang told the BBC.
"I don't know if it was true or not, but I chose to believe it. So we rushed to buy a car, because I need it for work.
"But it will be really inconvenient for me to drive a car when the streets become so congested."
About 750,000 new cars appeared on Beijing's streets this year, raising the total of registered vehicles for the city 4.8m.
The authorities have delayed imposition of a congestion charge - a fee for cars to enter specified zones - saying the idea needed more study.
There remains a high level of scepticism about how well the new measures will work however.
"I think we should learn from other countries and make the parking fees even higher, that is certainly a method. And these cars, we can't just allow the number of cars to grow. We must control them," said Wu Ning Juan.
"I think people will stop buying cars by themselves if they feel the traffic jam is really terrible, but now it is not that bad, so I think the new policy won't really resolve the problem," said a Beijing resident called Mr Zhao.
China overtook the United States as the world's biggest car market in 2009.
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The city authorities announced on Thursday that 240,000 cars would be registered by lottery in 2011 - a mere one-third of this year's total.
Car buyers have been swamping dealers in anticipation of the new rules.
Traffic in Beijing, and related air pollution, is among the worst in the world.
Officials said the new rules would not solve the full extent of the city's problems, only slow the down the rate at which they are worsening.
"It will be difficult to dramatically improve the traffic situation in a short time," said Liu Xiaoming, deputy director of the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau.
"But it can slow down the pace of worsening traffic congestion.
"We will experience congestion, alleviation measures, congestion and alleviation measures," he said.
Xinhua state news agency reports that Beijing's vice mayor in charge of traffic, Huang Wei, has been re-assigned to the far western region of Xinjiang.
Scepticism Residents say that Beijing's streets sometimes resemble parking lots; a record 140 traffic jams were recorded on one evening in September.
A spectacular 120km (75-mile) long traffic jam struck on the Beijing to Tibet route in early September, only a week after another 100km (62-mile) jam had been cleared in the same area.
Nearly 90% of the new licence plates will be allocated for residents; people driving cars into Beijing from other areas will need permits to do so.
Government departments will not be allowed to increase the size of their fleets for five years.
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
I think the new policy won't really resolve the problem ”
End Quote
Mr Zhao
Beijing resident
The official Xinhua News Agency said 30,000 new vehicles were registered in the past week alone, at least three times the normal rate.
"I heard that they were going to change the policy, so I wanted to buy this before the year was over, because the new policy will be announced soon." one buyer named Mr Yang told the BBC.
"I don't know if it was true or not, but I chose to believe it. So we rushed to buy a car, because I need it for work.
"But it will be really inconvenient for me to drive a car when the streets become so congested."
About 750,000 new cars appeared on Beijing's streets this year, raising the total of registered vehicles for the city 4.8m.
The authorities have delayed imposition of a congestion charge - a fee for cars to enter specified zones - saying the idea needed more study.
There remains a high level of scepticism about how well the new measures will work however.
"I think we should learn from other countries and make the parking fees even higher, that is certainly a method. And these cars, we can't just allow the number of cars to grow. We must control them," said Wu Ning Juan.
"I think people will stop buying cars by themselves if they feel the traffic jam is really terrible, but now it is not that bad, so I think the new policy won't really resolve the problem," said a Beijing resident called Mr Zhao.
China overtook the United States as the world's biggest car market in 2009.
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