Congestion charge proposed

A senior official has suggested charging congestion fees to ease heavy traffic in Beijing, but car owners are not enthusiastic.

Qiu Baoxing, vice-minister of housing and urban-rural development, said in an article published on the website of the ministry last Friday that economic means will be the most effective solution to the traffic problems of the central urban area.

He cited the case of London, which since 2003, has charged a congestion fee for vehicles entering the inner city. Initially five pounds ($7.5) the fee now stands at 8 pounds.