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Car owners feel road rage
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-01-24 09:22
The lack of parking spaces is gaining attention as one of the reasons behind
the slowdown in the automobile market.
Beijinger liao Zhenyun, a new car
owner, faces parking problems almost daily. So much so that it has dimmed his
enthusiasm for owning a car. "I usually don't drive in the evening," he says.
"If I return late it's almost impossible to find a parking space."
He admits
he does not drive all that often in the day anymore either as parking is
difficult in many places including department stores, restaurants and government
offices.
"I'd rather take a taxi as much as possible," he says. "At least
I don't have to spend extra time looking for a spot."
As the number of
cars grows rapidly, the parking shortage has become a serious problem in many
large cities across the country.
Liu xiaoming, deputy director of the
Beijing Communications Commission, says there are about 1.09 million certified
parking spots in Beijing, but there are about 1.5 million cars in the downtown
area alone.
As a result, many cars are parked illegally, mostly on both
sides of secondary streets or lanes.
In addition to parking problems, car
owners face increasing traffic congestion and difficulties getting car repairs.
It's enough to cause road rage says one driver.
"If my car breaks down, I
worry the repair shop will ask for an exorbitant fee or use shoddy parts," says
Miao Jie, a company employee in Beijing.
These issues have prevented many
from purchasing a new set of wheels. The reason is simple: owning a car is for
personal convenience. Many are now asking: Why should I buy a car if it causes
so much inconvenience?
"China is not ready for the coming of an
automobile society," says Miao. "Supporting facilities, including parking spots,
traffic control systems and car maintenance and repair systems are still
inadequate."
That may be due to the rapid growth of autos on the streets.
In the two years after China joined the WTO at the end of 2001, the
automobile industry has experienced growth that stunned the world. Yet the
downside is that the supporting facilities have failed to keep pace.
In
making any forecast about the development of the domestic automobile market,
"minor issues" have to be considered seriously along with issues such as the
vast population, the expanding economy and the rise in people's standard of
living.
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