Beijing considers congestion charge

According to Chinese website Xinhua, Beijing is likely to trial a congestion charge in a bid to address its congestion and air quality. Close to 5.6 million vehicles vie for space on Beijing's roads and vehicle emissions account for 31 per cent of the city's smog sources, according to the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau.
December 3, 2015 Read time: 2 mins

According to Chinese website Xinhua, Beijing is likely to trial a congestion charge in a bid to address its congestion and air quality.

Close to 5.6 million vehicles vie for space on Beijing's roads and vehicle emissions account for 31 per cent of the city's smog sources, according to the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau.

Beijing topped the traffic congestion list of 45 major domestic cities in the second quarter of 2015, and the frequent use of ride-hailing services was cited in a report as a major reason. Commuters in Beijing spent on average 32 minutes per hour in traffic jams while travelling during rush hours, according to a report by AutoNavi Software. Rush hour congestion was 36.4 per cent higher in July than the previous year.

"We are looking into the possibility of a congestion fee in certain areas," said Zhou Zhengyu, director of Beijing transport commission.

Beijing will further tighten its traffic controls and deliberate policies that will encourage companies to adopt different working hours, Zhou said.

The city has rolled out various policies to address air quality and congestion, such as restricting vehicles from using the roads on one out of five weekdays based upon the vehicle’s last license plate digits.

Air Quality & Weather Systems Urban Traffic Control Charging, Tolling & RUC

Related Content

  • April 5, 2013
    Belfast and Bristol ‘most congested cities in UK’
    According to the 2012 Congestion Index from satellite navigation specialists TomTom, motorists in Bristol and Belfast now face the slowest moving traffic in Britain. Even London’s infamous rush hour is less congested than peak-time jams in cities like Manchester and Nottingham, the annual global traffic figures found. The index shows that the average journey for drivers in Belfast takes 32.1 per cent longer than it would do if traffic moved freely, while in Bristol, journeys take 31 per cent longer. Londo
    Read More
  • November 17, 2014
    Air quality tops transportation agendas
    Colin Sowman catches up on some of the latest research around outdoor pollution and looks at options available to authorities in areas of poor air quality. Iair quality hasn’t already reached the top of the agenda in transportation department meetings in your area, it probably soon will with national, trans-national and even global bodies calling for authorities to reduce pollution levels.
    Read More
  • October 2, 2018
    Congestion pricing - no such thing as a free ride
    The widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles is likely to increase congestion, many experts believe. But Wes Guckert of Traffic Group believes that tolling could provide the answer. While it is still hard to wrap your head around the idea of getting into a vehicle without a driver, the industry is now used to hearing, reading, participating in the advancement of autonomous vehicles (AVs). Those in the industry have heard about Uber delivering a shipment of Budweiser, or the convoy of driverless trucks
    Read More
  • February 1, 2012
    Positive incentives an alternative to road user charging?
    The Netherlands has been looking at incentivising rush-hour avoidance. The intention is to better understand road users' motivations and find alternatives to congestion charging. Something significant needs to happen if we are to adequately address the traffic congestion and other issues caused by the ever-rising numbers of vehicles on our roads. Congestion or distance-based charging is seen as one way of managing demand and raising revenue for improvements to transport infrastructure. However, charging is
    Read More

Highlighted Content