Commuters warned to brace for year’s worst traffic jams

Congestion in the capital is expected to reach a peak this week with the approach of the Mid-Autumn Festival and the October 1 National Day holidays, warned Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport (BCT) Monday.

From Wednesday to Saturday during the morning and evening rush hours, the city's road network will be moderately congested, with the highest congestion index possibly reaching nine, said BCT, the Beijing Morning Post reported Monday.

According to the index, a level eight indicates serious congestion, so if the index reaches nine, the city will become a big parking lot, said the report.

An express delivery man in Beijing, surnamed Yu, told the Global Times Monday that the Dabeiyao area in Chaoyang district, which is usually crowded during the morning and evening peaks, is now just as congested at midday.

"I think it's because there are more cars in the downtown area which are used to send gifts to government agencies before the two holidays," he said.

A taxi driver, surnamed Li, agreed that traffic in the capital is usually at its worst before the National Day holidays, according to his experience.

"For this week, I will wait at home to avoid the evening peak hours and come out to work after 9 pm," he told the Global Times.

This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on September 30, immediately prior to the week-long National Day holidays.

A civil servant, who asked for anonymity, told the Global Times that since last week, officials from some provinces' Beijing offices have begun to send them gifts, such as moon cakes, ahead of the holidays.

The BCT suggested residents should properly arrange their travel time and use public transit during the holidays, according to the Beijing Morning Post. However it seems that the capital's drivers are unwilling to give up their cars.

Zhang En, 24, who usually drives to work, said that both buses and cars would be affected by traffic jams this week, so he would rather stay in his car than push and jostle in a public bus.

"It's still most convenient to drive a car," said Zhang.