| When every Chinese family has a car... | |
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| Apr 8, 2007 22:36 |   |
 | Driving in traffic the other day...I hate traffic...I started to think....... "What if every Chinese family had an automobile..." Traffic was terrible in Beijing and Shenyang last year...but most people don't have cars yet. Does the government have plans for how to handle the day when everyone in China has a car? |
| Apr 8, 2007 23:12 | #1 |
| Ahh Griz. Such a big question in such a few words! Firstly let me say that I think the Chinese government will be very happy when every person in China has a car because it will mean that they and all their business "Associates" will be rich beyond belief. Or should I say "Richer?" beyond belief. Leaving that aside because there is nothing that can be done about it (people power excepted), it is now widely accepted that Chinese cities are THE most polluted cities on the planet. I was listening to a radio feature the other evening which included senior Government officials and people representing teams participating in the upcoming olympics. The team representatives were saying that they will fly their stars into the city for their events and then get them out of town again till the next event. The government was saying that they plan to close all industry in and around Biejing for the duration of the games and ALSO ban all non public transport for the duration. So....they understand the problem, and the fix will be very temporary, but I really cant see how they can ever stop the juggernaut. Or even if they have the will do do so. |
| Apr 9, 2007 16:07 | #2 |
| May I know in which country EVERY family got a car? |
| Apr 9, 2007 18:38 | #3 |
| Some cities are banning new motorbike registrations. Why not cars too? Japan has restrictions because it has insufficient space on city roads. Maybe China will have to do the same (and maybe richer countries should have done the same). |
| Apr 9, 2007 20:44 | #4 |
| SANYACHINA many families in the United States have two or more automobiles: one for the man, one for the woman, one for the teenaged children. This is not uncommon. While not every family does not have a car in the United States, not having a car is usually a matter of choice rather than inability to acquire an automobile. I agree with you apault, the number of vehicles on the roads is staggering - even here in remote NW Montana. Pollution issues aside, automobiles impose unique pressures on and dangers to people. While automobiles are a tremendous convenience, there is a huge cost associated with ownership that goes far beyond money to keep them fueled, maintained and insured. I wish we had remained more dependent on the horse and buggy and been smart enough to only use automobiles in a more limited way. |
| Apr 9, 2007 22:46 | #5 |
| I'm inclined to agree with you, Griz, and I'm proud that I've never owned a car (could never afford it, anyway, but I always liked my bike and my feet better). It seems the government is waking up to the dangers cars pose, but those who can afford cars still seem to think they have a God-given right to drive it everywhere. It's not just the government, but societal attitudes that need to change fast. As it is, car exhaust has already become the number one cause of air pollution in Beijing. |
| Apr 9, 2007 23:34 | #6 |
| Chris, I feel the real problem with personal vehicles has less to do with pollution than with the stress heavy traffic imposes over time. However, the pollution is a real issue along with the consumption of fossil fuels too. There is a price on all freedoms. We in the States are increasingly dealing with what the media calls road rage. Bicycles are a wonderful alternative to a horse and buggy, but when I saw the traffic in Beijing last year, I could not imagine trying to ride a bicycle. I must say that might be because I was hit by a car while riding a bicycle years ago. With fewer vehicles riding a bicycle and great public transportation is in my mind a practical solution. |
| Apr 10, 2007 04:46 | #7 |
| Yes, I'm with you Griz. I think the public transportation is an urgent task that should be solved, the quantityand the conditions of the vechiles, and also the service. |
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