[sustran] Transport in China

Brian.Williams at unchs.org Brian.Williams at unchs.org
Thu Jun 18 21:53:30 JST 1998


Dear All,

    As many of you are aware, getting information about 
current issues in transport in China is a bit more difficult 
than other countries in the region.  As part of China's 
contribution to us here at UNCHS (Habitat) (an in-kind 
contribution, by the way) they translate and forward current 
newspaper clippings on human settlements issues to us on a 
monthly basis to keep us informed.  The following one just 
came in on transport and I thought I would share it with you 
(un-referenced...it is presumably from a Beijing Daily).

      Along those same lines, I recently came across a World 
Bank document issued April 23 entitled "China, Forward with 
One Spirit: A Strategy for the Transport Sector".  It is 
from the Transport Sector Unit, East Asia and Pacific 
Regional Office.  It is interesting to look at given the work 
by certain of us on the Bank's recent transport sector policy 
review.  If not already, it should be available at the Bank 
in D.C. in their bookstore as it is one of those 
notorious bi-colored Bank publications intended for general 
release.  I must say, "Forward with one spirit..." is 
certainly a little jazzier use of language for work in 
transport than I'm used to from the World Bank!  I shan't 
comment on what is inside at this point. 

    Here's the press clip:

BEIJING PROPOSES TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC

    "BEIJING'S government has outlined two major road 
construction projects to counteract the city's worsening 
traffic congestion.  When finished, the project will give 
shape to a pivotal artery for north-south flowing traffic.

     Inadequate road networks, combined with drastic increase 
of vehicles in the past several years, has rendered traffic 
unbearably slow in downtown Beijing.

     Official statistics indicate that Beijing has about 1.2 
million automobiles to date, 8.7 million bicycles and a 
population of more than 16 million.

     The over-crowded and ever-worsening traffic situation 
has pressured the government into pumping about 8.5 billion 
Yuan (US$1 billion) in the past 15 years for road 
construction and renovation.

    Since 1995, the municipal government has added another 
2.7 billion Yuan (US $325 million) in infrastructure 
construction, such as building more parking lots and 
overpasses.

     Prior to the two projects, the government initiated an 
ambitious 2-billion-plus (US$240 million) project to renovate 
a  seven-kilometer stretch of Ping'an Avenue to ease 
east-west traffic congestion." 

Brian Williams, Human Settlements Officer
United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT)
Research and Development Division
P.O. Box 30030, Nairobi, Kenya
TEL: (254 2) 623-916
FAX: (254 2) 624-265
EMAIL: brian.williams at unchs.org



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