[sustran] Fwd: giant step backward in china

Chris Zegras czegras at MIT.EDU
Tue Mar 27 03:50:28 JST 2001


>
>
>an excerpt from ZNet Commentary / Robin Hahnel / Giant Step Backward /
>>March 25
>
>>
>>In "Bicycle No Longer King of the Road in China" (Washington Post
>>3/12/01) Philip Pan tells us:
>
>>"It was just a little tap, but Song Yuhua had had enough. When the
>>taxicab bumped her bicycle and sent her tumbling onto the pavement, the 
>>50-year-old factory worker refused to dust herself off and pedal away. 
>>Even after the cabby apologized and cars lined up behind him, Song stood 
>>in the polluted haze of the evening rush hour and shook a finger at the 
>>long column of frustrated motorists honking their horns at her. 'You're 
>>not even supposed to be in this lane!' she cried. 'This is a bike lane!' 
>>And for a moment, a lone bicyclist appeared to stop the advance of the 
>>automobile in China. But then a police officer intervened, Song yielded 
>>and the cars began moving again, allowing China to resume its relentless 
>>drive toward a future in which the long-beloved bicycle may be reduced to 
>>a toy. For nearly half a century, multitudes of cyclists packed the dusty 
>>boulevards of Chinese cities. Now, after decades of steady increases, the 
>>number of bicycles on China's streets has begun to fall. There are still 
>>nearly twice as many bicycles in China -- 540 million -- as there are 
>>people in the United States. But riding one is more of a hassle than 
>>ever. Cars rule the roads now, spewing exhaust into cyclists' faces, 
>>pushing them into crowded side lanes and striking them with startling 
>>frequency. Housing reform has led people to move farther from their jobs, 
>>making bicycle commutes increasingly impractical. Less than a decade ago, 
>>residents of Beijing mounted their bicycles for 60 percent of all trips 
>>in the city, according to Chinese traffic studies. Today, the figure is 
>>down to 40 percent. Farther south, in Shanghai and Guangzhou, it has 
>>dropped to as low as 20 percent. The masses did not begin to buy bicycles 
>>until after the 1949 Communist Revolution, often receiving a government 
>>subsidy to do so. Families considered the bicycle a prized possession; 
>>women sometimes refused to marry men who did not own one. But bicycle 
>>production has been falling since 1995, and almost all the bikes made in 
>>China now are exported. Barely 1 million were produced for sale here in 
>>1999, compared with more than 30 million just five years earlier, 
>>according to government statistics. At the same time, China has been 
>>promoting car ownership to boost the nation's auto industry and give the 
>>country a more modern image. Car sales are up 15 percent a year. In 
>>Beijing alone, the number of cars has nearly tripled to 1.6 million since 
>>1993. More often than not, city leaders have sided with the cars. In 
>>Guangzhou, they tried to outlaw bikes from downtown completely in 1993, 
>>but a popular outcry led to a partial ban instead. In Shanghai, there are 
>>plans to force bicycles out of the city center by 2010, and most major 
>>streets are already off limits during rush hour. Even in Beijing, home to 
>>11 million bicycles, more than any other city in the world, police are 
>>experimenting with a ban on a jammed street about a mile northwest of the 
>>Forbidden City. An officer there orders bicyclists to dismount; they 
>>often respond with colorful curses. 'These roads used to be ours,' said 
>>Du Xiaoying, 40, sneaking down the street on her black Flying Pigeon 
>>bicycle. 'Now, the cars have taken over. They drive too fast. They even 
>>park in our lanes. There's nothing we can do.'
>Like many car drivers, Liu Jianshu, 38, has no patience for bicycle 
>nostalgia. 'What kind of country would we be if we were all still riding 
>bicycles? This is progress. This is development,' he said. 'Who wants to 
>ride a bicycle when you can drive a car?' Many Chinese agree. A recent 
>survey in 20 cities by the Association of Chinese Customers found a third 
>of urban families plan to buy a car within five years. Such attitudes 
>alarm environmentalists. They warn that if the percentage of the 
>population owning cars in China reaches Western levels, there would be 
>more automobiles here than in the rest of the world combined."
>
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--------------------------------------------------
Christopher Zegras
MIT * Center for Environmental Initiatives * Room E40-468
1 Amherst Street * Cambridge, MA 02139
Tel: 617 258 6084 * Fax: 617 253 8013



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