Four Million Cars in Beijing

It took Beijing 48 years to put their first million cars on the road. However, it only took two years to go from three million to four million cars.

Just some of the four million cars in Beijing

From the BBC:

But roads quickly became clogged up, forcing the government to limit the amount of time cars can drive. Air pollution has also been a problem.

To solve these issues, the authorities have invested heavily in public transport over recent years, a programme that was accelerated when Beijing was given the 2008 Olympic Games.

But Professor Ou Guoli, from Beijing Jiaotong University, says more needs to be done.

“We need other government policies and measures to reduce the amount of traffic on the roads,” he said.

Prof Ou said city centre parking should be made more expensive and there needs to be more “park and ride” facilities.

There should also be policies to encourage people to get back on their bikes, he said.