We are so lucky...

[Rusty62]

Imagine if this happened in Australia:
Last week in Beijing, a new traffic rule came into force. To reduce traffic congestion, private cars with number plates ending in certain digits have been banned from being driven on public roads for 24 hours.
Not sure exactly how it works, but something like this:
Each day they pick two different digits say 3 and 6, then next day 2 and 4 and so on - any private cars with number plates ending in either of these two digits are banned from use for 24hrs. I think the numbers are decided on a 3 month roster and rotated daily so you do get some notice that you can't use your car on certain days but imagine the headaches this would cause - basically you can only use your car for 4 business days per week - unless you have multiple cars, but the cost is out of reach for almost everyone here. Only about 3% of the total Chinese population actually have cars.
The traffic here is absolutely a nightmare, no-one wears seat belts, (most cars don't even have belts and many fairly new cars only have front belts) or wear helmets on motorcycles or bicycles, its very common to see car drivers and even scooter riders on the mobile while driving too with 3 or more people on board. Only saving grace is that the traffic is so heavy you can't really speed - average town speed is about 40kph.
I've seen many great cars here - Porsche, Maserati, Ferrari and even a Lambo Contach but what a waste having a car like this here.
Thankfully the public transport is quite good and most of the time quicker than driving anywhere in the city but of course almost all buses and trains are packed full like sardine cans.
We are really so lucky and I am so looking forward to getting home firing up each of my toys and going for a decent blast to blow the cobwebs out out of each of them - the best part is I can do this any day I feel like it!

[Auslandau]

Has been this way in Shanghai for quite a while now in the city centre. Alternate days for odds and evens. Don't think it helps too much and noticed that both numbers were presented. The cops sat at the freeway ramps to pull over ones that shouldn't be there but they would rather put their feet up and have a snooze. Funny place.

[aussie muscle]

Looks like they are trying to fix the symptom, not the cause.

[The Yeti]

this has been going on in a number of citys arround the world for years

a mate of mine in italy had a number of cars so he just drove the apropriate car

[Ben73]

If they ever did something like that here lucky my number plate ends in a letter not a number.

[EgoFG]

Um, Sorry Rusty, as a regular Beijing traveller ... this has been the case in Beijing for at least three years.

Hey if you want some nightlife/shopping tips PM me

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by The Yeti

this has been going on in a number of citys arround the world for years

a mate of mine in italy had a number of cars so he just drove the apropriate car

When in Turin several years ago my uncle couldn't use his car to collect us from the airport due to the number his rego ended in. 3 days later there was a blanket ban on all cars without a cat converter due to smog.

[redxm]

Manilla was odds & evens days as far as I remember my mate saying

[duaned]

I remember this in Adelaide for fuel during the shortages. Odds and evens on different days until supply improved.

[Mechan1k]

I remember the same in Sydney as well for petrol filling ... may parents would actually time it to fill vehicles .... luckily one car ended in odds and the other in evens.

[2011G6E]

We are lucky...lucky none of the whacky ideas I've seen in my lifetime have been listened to seriously. But it'll just be a matter of time...the green movement would still remember them...

* Banning cars older than five years from the road. This is usually brought up by car manufacturers every five to ten years. I think last time it was Mazda that suggested it, the time before it was Ford I think. Of course it's purely for "road safety", and not for forcing increased sales...

* Limiting vehicle use by placing restrictions on the number of kilometers a year you could drive. This was for "fuel savings".

* Banning engines over 2 liters (Many years ago it was "three liters"). Again for environmental reasons.

* Odds and evens, as the original post was about in China.

There have been others...equally as ****y.

[NickyN]

Well, thats pretty retarded but........it flies in China.

[Rodp]

I'm right - my number plate ends with N. ;)

[NickyN]

So your license doesn't end in even or odd..... maybe that means you can drive everyday then! (if that even/odd rule was enacted)

[xk_falcons_rule]

hahah what a joke

[Keepleft]

During the petrol shortages during the 80's we had odd and even number plate fuel buying days.