More Traffic Jam News
Since the widely publicized news of the massive traffic jam near Beijing earlier in the week, there have been new conflicting reports. First there were reports an NBC reporter that went to see the 60 day traffic jam did not find one. It reportedly had vanished and only occasional tie-ups or slow-downs at toll booths remained. Authorities evidently stepped in overnight after seeing the news being broadcast around the world.However, The NY Times reported an officer admitted that the highway being cleared overnight was "impossible". Even if cleared, the congestion would certainly be back soon. The highway is important in bringing much needed coal from Mongolia to power plants in Hebei. That highlights one of the infrastructure issues affecting China, as reported by the Times. The Chinese government can cut through and build rapidly, but still cannot keep up with the demand of the large population intent on catching up with the world.
I could relate to both points. It was common to see the government make decisions rapidly and get things built fast. And it could easily be understood that the government could eliminate the traffic jam by massive overnight effort of police and other resources. But there were always so many people and fast economic growth, that one could even see that the massive efforts could still not keep up.
But I also couldn't understand the traffic jam for another reason. I can tell you my driver, and most I ever saw in the Dongguan area, would never be caught in a long traffic jam. On one occasion my driver did a 180 turn in the middle of a highway and just headed right into oncoming traffic for about a mile to get off an exit ramp we had just passed - all to avoid a tie-up notice he noticed ahead. And in another jam, my driver went the wrong way down an entrance ramp to get away from the jam, as reported in "Wrong Way Home" post in July 2007. Most drivers would just do anything like that to get out of a jam. I don't know how so many were patient for days near Beijing. They probably weren't.
Labels: China News, China roads, traffic
posted by A Bryson (formerly) in China @ 2:58 AM
Comments: 0
