Beijing's employers are being urged to bring back staggered
start times for their workers to try and ease rush hour traffic
congestion.
Staggered starting times of the workday are one measure that
will be included in the Beijing Municipal Transport Commission's
new set of policies that will be made public in December, according
to sources with the commission. The commission also says work units
in the city should provide shuttle busses for their employees.
Beijing has 2.9 million registered motor vehicles, including
about 67,000 taxis and 2.2 million private cars.
Experts with the commission said that building more roads is not
the answer to alleviating traffic tie ups.
The city needs to encourage people to drive less or even give up
driving to work, said professor Duan Liren, former vice director of
the municipal transport bureau.
He says staggered hours and more shuttle buses are likely to
help relieve traffic congestion.
Duan says Beijing first adopted staggered workday start times in
1984 but it was discontinued.
(Xinhua News Agency April 6, 2007)