Friday, June 20, 2008

Beijing Public Transportation - the Adventure

Public transportation in Beijing is an adventure all to itself. It seems as though traffic signals, painted lines, and speed limit signs are only suggestions. Taxi drivers, most of them anyway, drive as though they were the only ones on the road. In reality, there are 15 million people in Beijing, many with cars of their own. According to a recent National Geographic documentary on the the traffic problem in Beijing, the city never intended on having personal vehicles on the road and never designed a road system that would accomodate the vast number of vehicles. Of course, the number of vehicles on the road also contributes to the pollution problem. Beijing, according to the documentary, accounts for 20% of the vehicle fatalities in the world - all in one city. I believe the problem will only get worse.

No comments: