Analysis: Chinese cities consider the possibility of traffic congestion charges

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai) - The excessively rapid pace with which the number of automobiles has grown in China has severely affected the amount of traffic congestion citizens in the country's major cities have had to deal with. In order to deal with increased traffic congestion and pollution pressure, Beijing, Guangzhou and other major cities have implemented policies to limit the number of new automobile registrations made annually. However, these policies have not radically changed the trend towards increased automobile consumption, with the demand for new cars as strong as ever.

How Chinese cities should tackle high rates of traffic consumption has become one of the most contentious issues in the country today, with Guangzhou's Municipal Commission of Transportation researching the possibility of implementing a congestion charge similar to cities in Europe. Are such congestion charge policies necessary, and what sort of influence would they have on automobile consumption and the development of the industry? In order to answer these questions, Gasgoo.com (Chinese) held a week-long survey on the issue, collecting opinions from 1,533 industry analysts and experts.

In the first question of the survey, participants were asked at what point should cities should begin considering implementing congestion charges. 30 percent of participants flat-out disagreed with the notion, maintaining that such a policy should never be considered. 21 percent said that such policies should be considered when public transportation cannot deal with traffic issues, while 19 percent answered that such policies should be implemented when automobile pollution starts affecting everyday life. Finally, 16 percent believe that such policies can wait until congestion starts severely affecting economic development.

Congestion charges involve taxing drivers on certain roads during periods of high traffic with a fee. The key motivation behind such a fee is to reduce the number of drivers on roads during periods of high congestion. Traffic congestion is cited as a key factor hindering production value and economic development, as well as a major source of air and noise pollution.

Traffic congestion remains one of the biggest problems resulting from the rapid growth of the Chinese automobile market. A recent study done by the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences calculated the average time spent by automobile owners driving to work during rush hour in various cities. Beijing led the pack with an average drive time of 52 minutes, while Guangzhou and Shanghai were close by with respective times of 48 minutes and 47 minutes. The study also points out that those numbers have been gradually rising over the years.

Several Chinese cities have announced that they would consider introduction congestion charge policies, however none of have managed to succeed to date. Lack of public support has been cited as one of the major factors hindering the implementation of such policies, many of which point to poor traffic management and substandard city and road planning as the chief reasons behind high congestion rates.

Furthermore, there is still no legal precedent for congestion charges in China. Even if a city announced such policies there is the possibility they would be modified later on or even entirely phased out.

Congestion charges have been implemented cities worldwide, including London, New York City and Tokyo, to various effect. The second question asked participants if they felt such policies would solve congestion and pollution problems in China. The majority, 65 percent of participants, disagreed with that idea, saying that such policies would only reduce problems in the short-term, at best, and were unable to completely eliminate them. Only 23 percent agreed that the policies would be able to achieve their goals, while the remaining 12 percent said that their effectiveness would depend on the severity of the charges associated with them.

Several prominent figures in the domestic automobile industry have already voiced their opposition to congestion charges. Dong Yang, deputy head of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, points out that the government has already established several standards to reduce air pollution, such as outlawing the sale and use of vehicles that don't meet specific emission standards. Therefore, air pollution should not be cited as a reason to introduce congestion charges.

Another question that several analysts have pointed out is that congestion charges would only target privately owned automobiles, and do not address the issue of government vehicle use.

In cities whose populations are now in the millions, public transportation is not enough to fully satisfy all citizens' demands. For many, driving a vehicle is not a choice, but a necessity, which also puts into doubt how effective congestion charge policies would be in reducing total vehicle usage.

Finally, survey participants were asked whether or not more Chinese cities would consider introducing congestion charge policies in the future. 46 percent agreed that the possibility was high, as the policies, on the surface, provide a simple solution to combat congestion and air pollution issues in Chinese cities. By contrast, 31 percent said that the chances were pretty slim, due to both lack of public support and the heavy costs involved in implementing such policies. The remaining 23 percent were undecided, saying that it was hard to predict the future of government policies as complex as congestion charges.