Beijing traffic down by 1/3 but pollution remains
Discussion
An interesting article at Times Online: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/a...
Briefly, by taking odd/even-numbered cars off the roads on alternate days (but leaving taxis and milatary vehicles exempt), there are 1/3 fewer cars on the roads in Beijing. The result? Traffic runs more smoothly but pollution levels are unaffected.
As one commenter says who lives in Beijing, "If Beijing wants to improve the air in the city, take the large trucks off the road".
I think there's a lesson for Mr Livingstone there. It's not the cars, it's taxis, buses and perhaps even trucks in London that are the cause of any traffic-based pollution, as a quick walk down pedestrianised Oxford St can confirm. It would be nice to think that this Chinese experiment will inform policy here.
Briefly, by taking odd/even-numbered cars off the roads on alternate days (but leaving taxis and milatary vehicles exempt), there are 1/3 fewer cars on the roads in Beijing. The result? Traffic runs more smoothly but pollution levels are unaffected.
As one commenter says who lives in Beijing, "If Beijing wants to improve the air in the city, take the large trucks off the road".
I think there's a lesson for Mr Livingstone there. It's not the cars, it's taxis, buses and perhaps even trucks in London that are the cause of any traffic-based pollution, as a quick walk down pedestrianised Oxford St can confirm. It would be nice to think that this Chinese experiment will inform policy here.
Didn't they try this in Athens a few years back?
IIRC what happened was that people would buy old sh
ters with the other number, and drive those on days they couldn't drive their normal cars. In the end, the traffic remained the same, but pollution went up. They banned cars in the end.
IIRC what happened was that people would buy old sh
ters with the other number, and drive those on days they couldn't drive their normal cars. In the end, the traffic remained the same, but pollution went up. They banned cars in the end.tribbles said:
Didn't they try this in Athens a few years back?
IIRC what happened was that people would buy old shters with the other number, and drive those on days they couldn't drive their normal cars. In the end, the traffic remained the same, but pollution went up. They banned cars in the end.
They tried it in Florence, Italy some years back. My Sister lives just outside the city and her husband works in the city, they have 2 cars and (as luck would have it) one had an odd plate, the other even - all my BIL had to do was alternate which car he took to work, which meant that on one day he was using a bigger/more polluting car than he normally used...... IIRC what happened was that people would buy old sh
ters with the other number, and drive those on days they couldn't drive their normal cars. In the end, the traffic remained the same, but pollution went up. They banned cars in the end.
Peter Ward said:
An interesting article at Times Online: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/a...
Briefly, by taking odd/even-numbered cars off the roads on alternate days (but leaving taxis and milatary vehicles exempt), there are 1/3 fewer cars on the roads in Beijing. The result? Traffic runs more smoothly but pollution levels are unaffected.
As one commenter says who lives in Beijing, "If Beijing wants to improve the air in the city, take the large trucks off the road".
I think there's a lesson for Mr Livingstone there. It's not the cars, it's taxis, buses and perhaps even trucks in London that are the cause of any traffic-based pollution, as a quick walk down pedestrianised Oxford St can confirm. It would be nice to think that this Chinese experiment will inform policy here.
I went to Beijing in March the pollution is so bad this idea is equivalent to p***ing in the wind!Briefly, by taking odd/even-numbered cars off the roads on alternate days (but leaving taxis and milatary vehicles exempt), there are 1/3 fewer cars on the roads in Beijing. The result? Traffic runs more smoothly but pollution levels are unaffected.
As one commenter says who lives in Beijing, "If Beijing wants to improve the air in the city, take the large trucks off the road".
I think there's a lesson for Mr Livingstone there. It's not the cars, it's taxis, buses and perhaps even trucks in London that are the cause of any traffic-based pollution, as a quick walk down pedestrianised Oxford St can confirm. It would be nice to think that this Chinese experiment will inform policy here.
I feel sorry for anyone who has to compete there next year in the Olympics it was bad enough just walking around some days.
Edited by sjtscott on Saturday 18th August 23:30
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