Two sessions traffic plan issued

City traffic management authorities released a plan yesterday for this year's two sessions, which will take place in March in Beijing, to ensure an orderly flow of traffic in a city that is increasingly affected by heavy congestion.

The annual National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)， known as the two sessions, are held in Beijing from early to mid-March.

Deputies and representatives from all over the nation will gather in the capital at that time, and it is convention that civilian vehicles will make way for the official cars.

This year, the NPC will take place from March 5-14, and the CPPCC is from March 3-13.

Transportation for officials and representatives will not be on the road for more than 30 minutes at a time, and civilian vehicles can take the bus lanes during periods of temporary traffic restrictions, according to the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau yesterday. The entire road may not be closed down, with one or two lanes being reserved for the official traffic.

Residents, especially those who drive, had better make changes to their usual commuting routes and habits during the two sessions period, given that traffic restrictions will be frequent, said the bureau.

Despite the efforts of the traffic bureau to manage the traffic for the duration of the two sessions, some residents worry that commuting will be more problematic.

"Traffic authorities want to make both sides feel okay by making these special traffic management plans during the two sessions, but they're not effective," said Yang Tiantian, a Beijing resident of Wukesong, Haidian district.

Traffic restrictions are common in her neighborhood, especially when there are major events held, and her cousin almost missed the train due to congestion during last year's two sessions, she said.

"I understand the conferences are important, but sometimes the government gives them too much priority," said Yang, who agreed that it is not possible to find an easy solution to bad traffic during the two sessions, since Beijing's traffic is already bad.

"I don't know how it works, but it might be better if deputies are assigned to hotels near the meeting places," she said.

However, traffic restrictions will not affect the entire capital, but will be limited to areas along Chang'an Avenue, near the Great Hall of the People at Tiananmen Square, and around the delegates' hotels.

According to the traffic bureau's plan, there will be an intelligent management system to better coordinate commuting official cars and civilian vehicles.

Traffic police cars clearing the way for official cars will be equipped with GPS and wireless communication devices. The bureau will also monitor and control the speed of official cars and traffic condition on the roads.

Vehicles from outside the capital will need a special permit to drive into the city for the duration of the meetings.

Traffic authorities will offer updates of road condition data to the public via media and the Internet two hours before and one hour after the meetings. Official cars and civilian vehicles will be allowed to be on the road in turn after the meeting, the plan says.

Commuters are suggested to take public transport more, and those who drive should show "politeness" when encountering official cars on the road, the traffic bureau said.

Wang Hejie, a taxi driver, said that he thinks on average, he has to sit in traffic for an extra 45 minutes per day due to congestion caused by the two sessions.

"Company-owned vehicles will be restricted to reduce the number of cars during the two sessions, and traffic rule violators or people causing accidents will face a more severe punishment," Wang said.