Temporary Measures to Smooth Guangzhou Traffic during Asiad

Like most big cities in China, Guangzhou in the south has a population of nearly 10 million people and with that an exploding number of vehicles and worsening traffic conditions. With the Asian Games only a few days away, the city is gearing up for an influx of traffic and a string of policies are being put in place to ease the traffic situation.

CRI's reporter Zhao Kun finds out more.

Guangzhou native Zhu Guoneng has been driving his taxi for several years. Waiting in congested traffic flow already becomes a daily routine for him. However, as the Asian Games is starting this Friday, the jam has suddenly evaporated.

" I can drive faster than before. Except for one or two busy intersections, the general traffic is very smooth. The time it takes to pass a crossroad has reduced nearly by half. "

At the beginning of the month Guangzhou started the even-odd license plate policy, which means odd license plates are banned from the streets on odd-numbered days, while the even-numbered cars must stay off the roads the next day. On those days public transport including buses and metro services are free of charge during working hours.

However buses and subway trains have felt the pinch from a growing number of passengers last week. Guangzhou resident Ms. Lin commutes every day on bus and she has a lot to complain about.

" The bus drivers seemed unhappy with the free-ride policy. They just closed the door and drove away, leaving behind those unable to squeeze into the bus. "

Ms. Li, a daily subway passenger, also finds the subway a bit overcrowded.

" There were too many people during the morning rush hour. People had to queue up outside and could only get into the stations in groups. Simply because of the odd-even plate policy, taking subways becomes the only choice for many people. "

In light of the overstrained public transport network and mounting security concerns, the Guangzhou transportation authorities have decided to scrap the free ride policy on Monday this week. and every household in Guangzhou will receive 150 yuan compensation. Numbers on the public transport system have since returned to a normal level.
Xu Xiaosi, station-master of Hai Bang Station on Subway Line 4 says:

" The number of subway passengers averages 7.8 million a day during the free-ride week. Since today, the subway system begins to charge fares and that number dropped by 50%. "

The 16th Asian Games is set to open on November 12th. Various traffic policies are already in place for the 16-day sports event. And the city is actively making temporary measures to ensure the games go smoothly. Improving Guangzhou's traffic after the event and more long-term policies are yet to be established.

For CRI, I'm Zhao Kun in Guangzhou.