China has a serious pollution problem. Currently, they are ranked as the top producer of greenhouse gases.  Much of the electricity in China is produced by coal-burning plants.

 But, automobiles are also a major contributor. Add to that the serious congestion on the streets of many cities in China and the automobile receives a lot of criticism.

 Several cities have taken major steps to reduce, or at least slow, the growth of auto usage.  For instance, Beijing limits the number of people buying a new car each year to around 180,000.  (In 2010, more than 700,000 cars were sold in Beijing.) In order to be allowed to buy a car, one must put his or her name in the lottery.  If the name is chosen, then the person has six months to make the purchase. If the car is not purchased within six months, that person’s name must go back into the lottery if still seeking to buy a car. Beijing, not the largest city in China, has a population of approximately 21 million.  It is estimated to have 5.3 million cars. A car owner can replace his car if he can prove the car is no longer on the streets of Beijing.

 Of the cities we visited, Beijing. Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Guiyang have implemented restrictions on buying cars.  Some cities use the lottery system, some use a bidding system, and Guangzhou uses both systems.

 To avoid people racing to beat the implementation of such a rule, some cities make the announcement only hours prior to the implementation.  The city of Tianjim (population 14 million) made the announcement five hours before the rule took effect. Guangzhou (maybe only 12 million) gave only three hours notice.

 Many cities also employ a traffic restriction. The most popular one is to have certain days when only cars with license plates ending in an even number may drive on city streets. Then, there are days when only the odd numbers are allowed on the streets.

 Most large cities in China have excellent public transportation, or are working on it. Tianjim is an exception.  (Chinese don’t consider a city under 10 million as large.)

 So, transportation is only one of the problems plaguing a country essentially the same size as the United States, but with 4.25 times as many people.

 One last word.  This is the last blog before Christmas. Let me give a plug not just for myself, but for all writers.  Books make great Christmas presents. They bring lasting pleasure, widen the readers view of the world, and – they are easy to wrap.  Print books are easy to give, but so are e-pubs.  You simply go on-line and make a gift to the person, and he or she receives an e-mail saying a present is waiting.  The same is true for audio books, a fantastic gift for people with impaired vision, or people who drive a lot, or do other activities where they can listen, but can’t look.  

  Click here to see my offerings. 

 Thanks for visiting, and have a great holiday.

James R. (Jim) Callan