THE city’s traffic still faces a “very serious situation even though the government has launched a series of measures to relieve congestion, Xiong Jianping, director of the Shanghai Municipal Construction and Management Administration, said at a recent press conference.

On some main roads downtown, bicycles are out-pacing cars in terms of average speed during rush hour. The 2004 study from the Shanghai City Comprehensive Transportation Planning Institute said the average speed on roads of different grades in the city during the day was 23.3 kilometres per hour. On the 21 main streets in downtown Puxi being investigated by the institute, about 74 per cent have an average speed of less than 20 kilometres per hour at peak time. About 29 per cent of these roads have an average of only 15 kilometres per hour. The slowest speed in some sections is just 9 kilometres per hour, which means bicycles are getting places faster.

Governmental statistics show that transportation volume has been rising continuously in recent years. As for the elevated roads, most sections reach saturation point during the day. Apart from the Dalian Lu and Fuxing Lu tunnels, the traffic volume passing through other cross-river tunnels exceeds their designed capacities.

Investment obstacle

The Shanghai Star conducted a traffic experiment at rush hour: Take a taxi starting from East China Normal University in the west of downtown to Huaihai Park near People’s Square. At a total distance of over 8 kilometres, it took an hour, from 9 am to 10 am. It cost 40 yuan (US$5), and the taxi was stopped for over 35 minutes because of congestion and red lights. A person can walk from the university to Zhongshan Park and take the metro which costs only 3 yuan and takes 45 minutes.

“So if you live and work in downtown, it’s ridiculous to buy a car because it’s a waste of time and money,?said a driver from Qiangsheng Taxi.

In the 2004 White Paper recently released by the American Chamber of Commerce in China and the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, the city’s traffic problem is described as affecting quality of life which “limits the ability of US companies to recruit and retain expatriates for positions in Shanghai.? Private vehicle sales grew by 80 per cent in each of the past two years and commuting is taking an increasing amount of time which “may influence future investment decisions by multinational companies.? Xiong attributed the current traffic situation to increasing number of vehicles, street-side construction sites, not enough public transport and poor traffic control.

Congestion charges

The statistics in 2003 showed Shanghai had 1.748 million vehicles. But the actual figure is believed to be higher. Many drivers in Shanghai choose to buy their licences in nearby cities such as Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, where the cost is lower.

If the current trend continues, by 2010, Shanghai is expected to have 2 million vehicles.

In the past 10 years, the total length of roadway in the city increased by 108 per cent while road area increased by 142 per cent. But the number of vehicles is up by 470 per cent.

To relieve the congestion, the government has invested over 100 billion yuan (US$12.1 billion). At the press conference Xiong said the government was taking 18 measures such as setting up one-way streets, adjusting bus routes, punishing traffic law breakers and stopping some street-side construction projects.

In addition, experts are working on some new ideas. A congestion charge has been mentioned.

“Actually, we worked on this issue in 2002. But the government did not think the time was right,?said Yang who took part in the 2002 research. “Now congestion is more serious, and the idea is being put forward again.? In Singapore and London, congestion charges are used as a way to control traffic flow in downtown areas.

The 2002 study suggested that congestion charges should be launched in Jing’an and Huangpu districts as well as Lujiazui area which covers about 22 square kilometres, according to Sun Lijun, professor of the School of Traffic and Transportation, Tongji University. The expert suggests the charge should be around 5 to 10 yuan (60 US cents to US$1.2) at peak time.

“But whether the effect of the congestion charge will be as obvious as that in Singapore and London is unsure, because in China, most vehicles are owned by the government or enterprises which would shoulder the expense,?Yang said. “So drivers may not care about the charge.? Yang thought the biggest problem facing the charge was non-private vehicles. “If non-private vehicle reform isn’t launched, the effects of a congestion charge will be hard to judge,?he added.

Crucial public transport

“Car pooling?is another idea put forward by experts.

“The research not only includes banning one-person vehicles from the elevated highways, but also another five or six measures,?said Zhu Weiming, director of the Traffic and Patrol Police General Brigade of Shanghai Public Security Bureau.

Xiong said it was important that the majority of drivers were not affected and that controls on the elevated highway should be no different from those on surface traffic. He also said all ideas are still in research and have not been finalized.

Flexible working hours is another issue being studied. Xiong said this system is a good way of avoiding traditional rush hour congestion in the morning and evening. Currently, the elevated highways are congested most of the day. “Whether the system will be effective in Shanghai is not known,?he said.

Both government officials and experts agree the bettering of public transport is key to solving congestion.

Xiong said the city will set up lanes on the road especially for buses called Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). It is a way of dealing with the expected 17 million passengers a day in the city by 2010.

The goal of the BRT system is to build 450 kilometres of lanes by the end of 2010.

“The metro is definitely the most efficient solution to develop public transport, though its cost is much higher than the BRT,?Yang said. “A big city like Shanghai will be in a blind alley if it does not construct enough metros and rail transportation.? The current 82 kilometres of railway in the city carried over 400 million passengers last year, becoming the main form of transportation in the city. In 2010, the network will expand to 400 kilometres.