Government cars make way for Africa summit
By Wu Jiao (China Daily) Updated: 2006-10-26 06:51
More than half the government cars in Beijing will be banned from streets
between November 1 and 6 to ensure traffic flows smoothly during the four-day
China-Africa Co-operation Forum summit.
Schedules for work units, schools and department stores will also be adjusted
to avoid flooding the roads, authorities said yesterday in a televised
conference.
Addressing the importance of road safety during the summit, the traffic
watchdog said that African leaders would be staying in several hotels throughout
in the city, and may need to travel long distances for some activities.
Specifically, the plan stipulates that half of the vehicles owned by work
units of the State and Party institutions, or military forces and their
affiliated enterprises, will be banned from the streets during those six days.
Also banned will be 80 per cent of government vehicles from every suburb and
county in Beijing Municipality, and from the Beijing offices of every other
province and municipality.
For privately-owned and company cars, drivers are recommended to avoid major
routes likely to be used by foreign guests during the summit.
Those routes include Chang'an Avenue, the east and west second ring roads,
and the airport expressway.
Taxis without passengers are strictly banned from entering Chang'an Avenue,
the east and west Second Ring Roads, Sanlihe Street, the roads to the east and
west of Tian'anmen Square, and the road to the west of the Great Hall of the
People.
All drivers are also encouraged to avoid the main airport expressway, instead
using the northern road that also links the airport to the city.
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