Fighting traffic jams, or 'odd-even' the Beijing way

Beijing's authorities, having declared traffic jams an emergency, have decided to take drastic measures against the problem and are seriously discussing the possibility of cutting the city's traffic flow exactly in half. Doing so, in the view of Beijing's leadership, is simple: let cars with even-numbered plates drive on even dates, and cars with odd-numbered plates on odd dates.

Another radical "anti-jam" measure under consideration is the introduction of an extra tax: if a jam forms on the road, the owners of every car standing in it will be required to pay a fee into the city budget. Surveillance cameras will help keep track of the jams. In the authorities' view, only such strict measures can push the Chinese to make more active use of public transport.

It should be said, harsh conditions for drivers are nothing new for Beijing. Back in 2011, restrictions were introduced on the sale of new cars — no more than 240,000 private cars a year (and that's with a city population of 18 million!). And this despite the rule of "one citizen, one car." Only Beijing residents who have a garage (or a permanent parking spot), a job and residency registration can register a private vehicle — and supporting documents are required for all of it. Chinese citizens from other cities need to gather even more paperwork to register a vehicle in Beijing. You'd think it would be simpler for visitors to register at their place of residence and then drive to Beijing "as guests." But Beijing's authorities have thought of that too: soon, entering the capital by car with out-of-town plates will require a special permit.