Fewer cars on road give air quality a breather

If owning a car is a dream for many urban dwellers, the need to get behind the wheel less frequently is an even bigger dream for some in Beijing.

Today, on World Environment Day, fewer cars are expected on the capital's streets as more than 200,000 motorists have agreed to comply with a request to stop driving their cars to work one day a month.

Participants are from 79 Beijing auto clubs, eight environmental and 10 media organizations and 14 university environment societies.

"The idea is for people to drive less," said Li Yunwei, who initiated the campaign and participates in the drivers' online forum www.chinakia.net, a leading auto club in Beijing.

But Li says the event is not just about the number of participants.

"It is that what we do every day actually affects the environment," he said after being asked several times by the media about how many would participate in today's campaign.

"Only when the concept of environmental protection becomes part of motorists' culture and involves the majority of the public can Beijing's air quality be greatly improved."

Xie Meng, for one, is willing to change her driving habits.

"I used to drive to work every day; now I try to take the subway once a week," said Xie, 25, who works for the China Development Research Foundation.

Commuting by subway for Xie means getting up at 6:30 am and making three transfers but it is only a 50-minute drive for the trip from Tiantongyuan, a large residential community outside the Fifth Ring Road to Deshengmen on the Second Ring Road.

"Driving a car is faster and more comfortable," she said. "Moreover, I don't need to ride in the crowded carriages. But given traffic on Monday mornings and the rising cost of petrol, I'm starting to take the subway on Mondays."

Gains in air quality and the awareness of the upcoming Olympics also contribute to the promised rise in participation.

"Not everyone is interested in air quality," Li said. "But if you say that the move helps realize the goal of a green Olympic Games, that's something every Beijing resident will support."

Beijing has more than 2.6 million motor vehicles on its streets, and the number of new vehicles is increasing by more than 1,000 a day, both figures ranking No 1 nationwide.

And vehicle emissions will only increase. The Beijing Environment Protection Bureau estimates the city will have 3.5 million vehicles by 2008.

Motor vehicle emissions are the leading cause of air pollution in the city, with 3,600 tons of pollutants spewing out of cars every day, accounting for about 23 per cent of the pollution, the bureau's figures show.

Pollution reaches its highest level when vehicles drive slowly in traffic, said Tang Xiaoyan, a professor at Peking University.

The Beijing environmental protection bureau is making efforts through its "blue sky days" campaign, launched in 1998, to increase the number of days with good or fair air quality in the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games.

By the end of May, the city reported 83 "blue sky days," 13 fewer than the same period in 2005, which means reaching the goal of 238 this year may prove difficult.

Green commuters

The car-free campaign is part of Beijing's efforts to encourage more residents to become "green" commuters. People are encouraged to cycle, walk, take a taxi or other forms of public transport. And one of Beijing's top environmental officials has grabbed headlines with his participation.

Du Shaozhong, 52, deputy director of the Beijing environmental protection bureau, walked 6 kilometres to his office, which took nearly 70 minutes, one morning in mid-May.

Some commentators labelled his efforts a "show" but Du is not deterred.

"I am going to walk to my office and take the bus home," Du told China Daily. "It is exercise, and it also protects the environment. In fact, the day after the media reported it, a lot of my colleagues joined me."

Besides the municipal government, companies are also major players in the campaign. Last week, about 30 committed to encourage their employees to use public transport.

Organized by the US-based non-profit organization Environmental Defence and China Association for NGO Co-operation, foreign companies including oil giants BP and Shell and the China Electrical Council are asking their employees to taking subways and buses.

Dynabond Consulting, a French consultancy, has almost all of its 20 employees becoming green commuters for the day.

Arnaud Baril, general manager, often cycles or takes a bus to his office, located in Liangmahe in Chaoyang District.

"We will have only one employee who will drive to work, and the rest will take buses or walk," said Zhao Rui, marketing executive for Dynabond Consulting who studied and worked in France for three-and-half years.

Zhao says she still remembers the time she stepped out of the plane from France and noticed only one colour yellow. "I felt really depressed and shocked by the air quality," she said.

Zhao commutes by bus for nearly one hour each way. "Public transport is more convenient and faster than most people think," she added.

Sustaining participation

The passion to protect the environment in Beijing might mean some success one day a month, but how to sustain that participation is a matter of much debate.

The feasibility of the programme is important. "You have to chart a course people can follow," environment official Du Shaohong said, adding that not driving their car one day a month is practical and does not entail much pressure.

Offering more convenient public transport, including more carriages in the subway and buses equipped with air-conditioners, will spur more people to leave their cars behind, Du said.

Even if 200,000 motorists do participate in the programme today, the public transport system in Beijing can handle the passenger flow, he added.

"The city's transportation management bureau officials told me that handling increased passenger loads is on their agenda; and they would take this opportunity to improve the system," Du added.

Incentives are also offered to help the public stick to their goal.

"We need a reward system offered by companies and institutions," said Zhang Jianyu, Beijing office head of Environmental Defence.

Zhang said companies' involvement has become the key to environment protection in some countries. Measures include reimbursing public transport fare or offering free parking for employees who pool cars.

"The relationship between the company and employees will remind participants to stick to their commitment and effectively sustain the campaign," Zhang said.

In Dynabond Consulting's case, the firm is considering offering subsidies to workers who take public transport, according to Zhao Rui.

If you want to participate in the Car-Free Day, check out www.bjee.org.cn.

Source: China Daily