Should Odd-Even Number Car Restrictions Be Made Permanent?

Beijing vice Mayor Li Shixiang said in late November that the city will look into the feasibility of adopting an odd-even car plate system， in which cars will be permitted to hit the roads on alternate days depending on whether their number plates end in odd or even numbers.

Currently， cars in Beijing are banned from the roads one day a week， depending on the final digit of their license plates， with two numbers prohibited each weekday.

An odd-even car plate system was put in place from November 3-12， together with other emission reduction measures including temporarily closing factories and construction sites， to create blue skies during this years APEC meetings in Beijing.

However， the publics responses to making the policy permanent have varied. Some agree the policy will help reduce congestion and improve air quality while others call on the government to be cautious.

Greater efficiency

Han Rui （Beijing Morning Post）： The odd-even plate number policy will bring more good than harm. First， the policy will reduce the number of cars on the street and therefore address the problem of traffic congestion， making it more convenient and efficient for residents to travel to work and other places.

Second， air quality will be improved. Putting half of the cars off the roads， coupled with the governments other efforts to reduce pollution， will surely make the air cleaner and improve peoples health.

Third， city dwellers will be happier， which will in turn improve their work efficiency and their state of health.

However， if the policy is to be introduced， the government should reduce or waive the vehicle tax on car owners because their cars are out of use every other day. Also， drivers who travel in violation of the ban because of an emergency should be exempt from punishment.

liu yuanju （QQ.com）： The odd-even number plate policy will mean different things for different income groups.

For those who have a higher income per unit of time， the policy will restrict them from getting stuck on the roads. They may use the time saved to meet more clients and seal more business deals or work more hours in order to make more money. As they have a high income， they can opt for taxis or a second car with a different license plate.

However， for those who have a lower income per unit of time， the policy will bring little benefit. Even if their time of traveling on the roads is reduced， they cannot make use of the time saved to make money. It makes no difference for them whether they listen to music while being stuck on the roads or spend the same time at work. Therefore， this group might be unwilling to accept the policy.endprint

As people with lower incomes far outnumber their more highly paid counterparts， it is understandable that a large number of people would oppose the policy.

Prudence needed

Shang yinquan （China Industrial Economy News）： The odd-even number plate policy may have contributed to the blue skies during the APEC meetings； however， it should not be taken for granted that as long as the policy is made permanent， Beijings blue skies will remain.

The increasingly serious air pollution in Beijing and across north China has been caused by rapid economic development in the region in the past 20 to 30 years. Emissions from cars are only part of the reasons for smog.

The government needs to engage in careful deliberation before introducing the policy. What if smog still lingers after the policy is introduced？ Should the government ban all cars then？

City management is a complicated process. Although international metropolises such as Tokyo and New york City， which also have a large number of cars， do not restrict vehicles，their air quality is still far better than that of Beijing. Beijing should learn from their management strategies.

It also needs to be noted that Beijing will raise ticket prices for buses and the subways by a large margin starting from December 28. So while the city mulls over measures to restrict car usage， it is not reducing the cost of public transportation to encourage its use but instead raising it. Such management maneuvers are highly questionable.

Hu yinbin （The Beijing News）： The government should be cautious about introducing the odd-even number car plate policy. Once the policy is put in place， it will have a deep impact upon citizens. Such a move may harm the right of the owners of the citys several million cars to use their vehicles. In addition， the public transportation system may heave under the increased daily volume of passengers. In addition to affecting travelers convenience and comfort， the policy may reduce the vitality of the city.

It is undeniable that the odd-even number car plate system can help reduce emissions. According to statistics from the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau， motor vehicle exhausts account for 31.1 percent of the PM2.5 （particulate matter measuring less than 2.5 microns in diameter） in the citys atmosphere and are the single largest contributor to Beijings air pollution. The clean air experienced during the APEC meetings， when the car restriction measure was implemented， evidences the efficiency of the policy. However， much more needs to be done before making the temporary policy permanent.endprint

On the one hand， relevant data needs to be gathered and studied to see how much the policy can contribute to alleviating air pollution； on the other， as the policy concerns the public interest， the public opinion should be given careful consideration.

To disperse Beijings smog， one expedient short-term measure alone is far from sufficient. Instead， comprehensive pollution reduction measures should be taken. Beijing has formulated and implemented the Airborne Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan （2013-17）， pledging to reduce emissions and continually improve its air quality by reducing coal use， cutting industrial emissions， among other measures.

Pan Hongqi （Yangcheng Evening News）： vice Mayor Li showed caution in saying that the government will study the possibility of introducing the odd-even number car plate system. Li was being circumspect for two reasons. First， once the policy is made permanent， it will mean that half of the citys cars will be put off the roads every day including weekends and that the lives of citizens and the normal running of the city will consequently be greatly affected. Second， Beijings policies will be highly influential over other big Chinese cities， which may follow the capitals example.

The idea of making the odd-even number plate system permanent is one that has been raised by the public. In a survey conducted on whether they would support such a system， 56.9 percent of the Beijing residents surveyed said yes. They believe that it is the policy combined with other emission reduction measures that created the rare blue skies during the APEC meetings. They assume that as long as the policy is made regular， the “APEC blue” will be maintained.

However， it should be noted that the APEC blue was achieved through measures being consistently taken and restricting cars was only one of them. Blue skies require a multitude of coordinated actions to curb air pollution， including adjusting the industrial structure， protecting the environment and reducing emissions.

There are multiple factors that contribute to air pollution， including industrial pollution， vehicle emissions， dust from construction sites， certain meteorological conditions such as static weather， and topographic conditions unfavorable to the dispersion of pollutants. Some say motor-vehicle emissions are the largest PM2.5 source while others say their contribution to air pollution has been greatly exaggerated. In addition， if the odd-even number plate system is made permanent， how can Beijings public transportation system cope with the increased travel demand？ As the system restricts citizensright to use cars， will the government be capable of compensating for this？ Only by carefully considering these questions can the government give a responsible answer to whether or not to adopt the policy.endprint