Beijing citizens will not be
allowed to park at 2008 Olympic venues as part of government plans to discourage
the use of private cars during the Games, Chinese media reported on Monday.
Authorities in China's capital, which has an official population of 15
million and notoriously congested traffic, are considering a series of measures
to keep a significant number of the city's three million cars off the roads
during the Olympics.
"Beijing will do its best to reduce the personal use of traffic during the
Olympics," the Beijing News quoted the Beijing Traffic Commission's deputy
director, Liu Xiaoming, as saying.
"To ensure the smoothness of the traffic during the Olympics, Beijing will
reduce the traffic flow by 20 to 25 percent before the Olympics," Liu told a
forum.
Beijing will also open 210 kilometres of special Olympics traffic lanes
connecting different Olympic sites to ensure officials and athletes will arrive
in time for the events.
The Beijing Olympics will open on August 8, 2008.
