RESTRICTION BLITZ
Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, is the eighth Chinese city to adopt purchase restrictions. It is not the first to resort to a "restriction blitz" to tackle rising congestion and pollution.
In March, local officials in Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang Province launched a similar strike on car buyers, five hours before the policy went into effect. Guangzhou, Tianjin and Guiyang all chose to announce car restrictions in the evening and implement the policies at midnight the same day.
The restrictions have effectively eased traffic congestion in cities such as Shanghai, Tianjin and Hangzhou, according to local traffic reports.
Experts agreed the policy can quickly address the tricky problem of traffic congestion. Zhou Keda, a sociologist with the Guangxi regional academy of social sciences, said that with the rapid growth in private cars, a direct restriction will certainly help relieve traffic pressure.
"The restriction will also help decrease emissions," Zhou said.
But how long the restriction will work remains to be seen.
Liu Demin, a resident of Hangzhou, said when the eastern city's policy was implemented, the traffic problem eased. But now, Liu said, it seems the cars in the city are moving "like snails" again.
"When the restriction began, I could save about 10 minutes during the morning rush hours, but now it's starting to be congested again," Liu said.
According to a report published by AutoNavi, a Chinese company specializing in digital maps and navigation, Beijing remained the most congested city in China in the third quarter of 2014, with rush-hour commuters spending 2.12 times the usual length for non-rush hours, despite the city's car restrictions.
That has raised questions about the latest Shenzhen restriction. Experts say the car restriction is only a temporary measure, and a long-term mechanism is needed to eradicate problems at their root.
"The restriction can only drag on the growth of car numbers and postpone the crush of the transportation system," said Feng Yinchang, an environment expert with Nankai University. Feng said the problem does not lie in the number of cars, but in city planning.
"Car restrictions are not a cure-all for the problems caused by automobiles, such as smog, congestion and city noise," said Yang Jianhua, director at the research center of the Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences.
Yang said these "city diseases" are shared by many countries, and the most important way to treat them is enhanced public transportation.
Cities need to focus on building complete public transport systems and improving transit service levels, Yang added.
