If you’re reading this article stuck in a traffic jam in Shenzhen, then we have some unfortunate news for you: you’d better get used to it.
In fact, traffic congestion will get significantly worse as more than 2.25 million cars are registered to drive on Shenzhen’s highways and byways - the densest concentration of vehicles per square kilometre of any major city in China.
Despite this, city officials seem happy with the status quo and see no reason to introduce restrictions on car purchases.
Other cities, like Guangzhou, have followed Beijing and Shanghai in introducing a lottery for license plates, which restricts the number of cars legally allowed to be on the road.
The number of automobiles on the road in Shenzhen has been growing by leaps and bounds, from 1 million cars in 2007 to 1.5 million in 2010 and 2 million by February last year. Considering private cars remain the ultimate status symbol in China, analysts don’t expect demand to subside anytime soon.
Source: Shenzhen Evening News via SCMP
Photo: Connie/Flickr
