Authorities intend to keep about a million cars off the road during next year's Olympics to ensure the capital's chronic traffic problems will not affect the Games.
'Beijing's traffic congestion is a recurrent problem, and it is giving us a headache,' said Liu Xiaoming , deputy director of Beijing Municipal Committee of Communications, at a news briefing yesterday hosted by Bocog.
But Mr Liu said he was confident that 'Beijing's traffic will be able to support a special Olympics'.
While traffic arrangements are still under discussion, Mr Liu said restrictions were expected to apply to government vehicles with high emissions. The city would also provide free public transport for Olympics participants, volunteers and ticket-holders, and introduce designated public transport routes and strict parking controls around venues.
Mr Liu said the Sino-African Summit held in Beijing in October, when 70 per cent of government vehicles were banned and private motorists encouraged to stay off the roads, showed the city had the ability to manage the traffic. It lasted two weekend days but the Games would span more than two weeks.
He said Beijing would also learn from other former host cities, like Seoul, where vehicles were allowed on alternate days depending on whether they had an odd or even number.
