Private cars banned at Olympics

2006-09-18 09:36

Beijing - Spectators will have to rely on public transport to get to the Olympics in Beijing, with private cars banned from all venues for the 2008 Games, newspapers said on Monday.

Beijing's traffic gridlock is seen as one of the biggest threats to the smooth running of the Games and organisers are determined to curb the number of private cars on the streets of the city during the Olympics.

"Beijing plans to do all it can to curb traffic congestion by not allowing the use of private cars at venues," the Beijing News quoted Liu Xiaoming, deputy head of the Beijing transport department, as saying.

No parking places for private cars will be provided at the Olympic venues, he said, and free bus passes will be offered to people to encourage them to travel to venues by public transport.

Traffic congestion is chronic in the Chinese capital, where the number of cars has multiplied in recent years and is set to rise from 2.7 million to three million between now and the Olympics.

Transport authorities believe they need to curb the traffic flow by at least 20 percent to ensure the smooth running of the Games.

Already they have put forward a plan that allows private cars on the streets on alternate days only, based on whether the number plate ends in an odd or even number.

- AFP