Shanghai mulls over congestion charges

(Ecns.cn)--As one of its efforts to better conserve energy and reduce emissions, Shanghai is likely to introduce a congestion charge, while continuing to restrict the growth of private cars via its license plate auction policy, said local xinmin news website on Tuesday.

There are currently over 200,000 vehicles commuting on exhaust-choked roads in the city's downtown area whose discharge raises by 20 to 30 times the standard level of air pollution.

In addition, local authorities are considering charging tiered parking fees for different types of vehicles, promoting public transportation, and expanding coverage of the publicly rented bicycle service.

Last August, Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province also announced it was considering similar policies to ease local traffic pressure, along with a proposal to set up high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV lanes).