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Beijing Commuting and Traffic

Posted at: 2008-10-26; By catherine; Clicks:1162

Beijing is known for its heavy vehicular traffic. There are new and old buses, trucks, the latest private cars, two-wheelers and even bicycles on some roads. While the population is 17-18 million, the number of cars is 3 million; a very high number indeed. About 1000 new vehicles are added to the city roads every day!! Most drivers seem to follow the rules of the road. The traffic signs are bold and well located.

I had the first view of the traffic as the taxi came out of the airport on the main highway. There were about 8 lanes but they were all full with vehicles. As one neared the city center, traffic slowed down significantly. However, the driver of the taxi was an enterprising one and took some side roads to avoid the main highway at places.

Next morning, while going to The Ming Tombs and The Great Wall, again there was heavy traffic part of the way. But the worst traffic was in the evening when we came back. It really took time to make progress. In certain parts of the city, the rush hour extends to 11 hours a day!! However, in spite of heavy congestion drivers were patient.

Beijing has 5 ring roads and 16 freeways. Keeping in view the increasing number of vehicles and paucity of land, it is a great challenge for the city planners to manage the growth in traffic.

The main means of commuting are buses, the subway and taxis. Taxis in Beijing have meters, and when one reaches the destination, the driver will print out a receipt with his taxi number etc. and then get paid. Another queer feature is that the driver’s seat has a cage around it, for the safety of the driver. Buses are comfortable but the number of buses and frequency did not seem great.

One saw Beijing residents also using bicycles a plenty to commute. The bicycles were of older designs and not of modern types seen in the western countries or in the US. The cyclists used the side roads and there are separate traffic lights for cyclists and also separate parking lots. At the crossings the policemen gave due consideration to the need for the cyclists to cross.?

Beijing has a good subway system, the second largest in China, after Shanghai . It is 200 km long and has 123 stations. The network is being expanded. The service operates from about 5 am to 11 pm. The fare for Lines 1 and 2, which tourists are most likely to use, is 3 RMB. I found that language was a problem in catching the right Train in the right direction, and in getting down at the station one intended to!! At one point I took a train going in the wrong direction!!

So a number of options, like taxis, buses, subway and even bicycles, are available to tourists to commute in Beijing. Keeping in mind the very heavy traffic, cost and time factors. If one can afford it, a taxi is the best bet.

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