License lottery is a gamble that is unlikely to pay off

According to a 2010 IBM study of commuting in 20 large cities, Beijing tied with Mexico City for the dubious distinction of ranking No 1 in commuter pain.

Almost 70 percent of Beijing drivers surveyed said that, on at least one occasion, the traffic has been bad enough to force them to turn around and go home. Transport experts here also predict that average speeds in the capital will soon fall from 24 km/h to 15 km/h.

Confronted by the specter of complete gridlock, authorities recently adopted what Chinese netizens are referring to as "the toughest anti-congestion measure in history". Starting this year, first-time car buyers must compete in a lottery for the license plates needed to register vehicles.