Drivers in Beijing face traffic jams every day and spending two to three hours on the road during rush hour has become a daily routine.

Holidays, bad weather, traffic regulations it seems any such unexpected situation can crush Beijing's vulnerable traffic.

Back in December, 2001, a sudden snowfall froze almost all the roads and left traffic at a massive standstill. Many people didn't reach home until the early hours of the next morning.

The latest epic jam was in September. Because of relentless rain, more than 140 streets ground to a halt during the evening rush hour, setting a new record.

In recent years, Beijing has become a "jammed city," as its citizens call it, where the traffic can be held up at any time of the day in any area of the city.

A local resident of Beijing said, "I live in Chaoyang District, and I think no path there is smooth."

Figures show Beijing residents spend the most time on the road. Even when the traffic is considered "smooth," people still have to waste more than 40 minutes stuck in congestion every day. And when it comes crowded routes, the figure soars to more than an hour.

A local resident of Beijing said, "I was once trapped in the middle of a road, and didn't move one meter forward in an hour."

It is estimated that drivers have to pay more than three hundred yuan per month for wasted time on roads.

The capital has been trying to find new solutions for its traffic congestion, from increasing investment in public transportation to its even-and-odd-numbered license plates policy. But the capital is still as jammed as ever. To ease its traffic congestion, the city has unveiled another ambitious plan and hopefully it can end the nightmare of Beijing's epic jams.

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