After four days's traffic ban in Beijing to test the effect on air quality for the Olympic Games, the question whether such a traffic ban should become regular has triggered a debate between private car owners and those without cars.

 

Among 2,968 respondents, 78.2 percent of those without a private car call for a permanent traffic ban, while 61.9 percent of private car owners object to it, according to an online survey jointly launched by China Youth Daily and Internet portal sina.com.

 

During Aug. 17 to 20, a traffic ban to test the effect on air quality for the Olympic Games demanded drivers with even-numbered license plates, excluding taxis, buses and emergency vehicles to stay off the roads on 17 and 19 or face fines. Odd-numbered cars were banned on 18 and 20.

 

The ban removed 1.3 million or one third of automobiles from Beijing's perpetually gridlocked streets each day. The air quality was "fairly good" during the four-day trial, with the air pollution index standing between 93 and 95, down from 116 on the day prior to the test.

 

Some netizens said the traffic was perfect in those days and suggested the ban should be still in force.

 

The survey indicates 86.6 percent of respondents feel a much better traffic in Beijing, but 56.7 percent car-owners complained the ban caused inconvenience to them.

 

Deng Rong, an accountant of Beijing Double-Crane Pharmaceutical Company, also a private car-owner, said "A permanent traffic ban would be unfair since I have bought my car, how can you cut down half of my driving time?"

 

In fact, 21.8 percent of respondents without a car support the car owners' complaints. Xu Lin, a young employee of ZTE corporation, said,"A permanent ban is unreasonable for people saved money to buy cars to make their travels easier and comfortable, but the ban only allows them to use cars half time, which will make their life inconvenient again."

 

"Government ban isn't the only way to deal with those problems and the government should adopt favorable policies encouraging drivers to give up driving, but not force them," Xu said.

 

"In addition, to improve public transport service is very important," he said.

 

About a half, 49.9 percent of respondents said to lower taxi, bus and subway fares and improve public transport efficiency should top government agenda.

 

About 36.2 percent car-owners said they will "always" or "often" take public vehicles if the traffic is always as smooth as in the test time.

 

"I will not drive except for emergency, if the public transport service improved." Deng said.

 

Netizens also put forward other measures, including to reform public transport service, reduce parking lots in downtown areas and increase parking fees, and build bicycle parking lots in subway stations.

 

Some measures have been put into practice. Bicycles were more in evidence on the streets over the four days of the test and a Beijing company plans to make 50,000 bikes available for rent at 230 outlets around the city before the Olympics.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 2, 2007)