Traffic jams expected at Beijing entries

• Source: Global Times
• [16:48 September 16 2009]
• Comments

By Xuyang Jingjing

With National Day fast approaching, today Beijing tightened security by increasing surveillance on vehicles entering the city, likely to result in massive traffic jams at expressway entry points.

With many locals leaving the city during the eight-day holiday, major highways are expected to see a sharp increase in outbound traffic flow as reported by the Municipal Traffic Commission. A spokesperson surnamed Xu said the Beijing expressways including those to Chengde, Badaling and Tianjin will likely be jammed with National Day traffic.

Xu also suggested that travelers take a train, as expressways to tourist spots like the Bashang grassland and Chengde may see extremely crowded traffic.

All vehicles entering the city will be inspected on the 200- plus major highway entrances and security checkpoints. Police will check everyone's IDs and confiscate restricted items such as knives and firecrackers.

Security was already tightened on some highway checkpoints yesterday. Roadblocks and related equipment were deployed and police dogs may be used as necessary, as reported by Beijing Evening News. Drivers wanting to take advantage before the new restrictions took effect flocked into the city, causing serious traffic jams.

"Two policemen came onto our bus. One used a scanner to check our bags; the other collected our ID cards, scanned them in their machines and brought them back to us. The whole process took 15 minutes," said Wang Jie, a bank clerk who was stuck in a traffic jam for nine hours trying to get on the Badaling expressway from Bashang grassland in Hebei Province. She was on a bus with 24 other passengers coming back from a weekend-excursion to Hebei Province.

Police reminded people to carry their identification cards and valid certificates for their vehicles, and foreigners were told to bring their passports when traveling outside the city.

The temporary restrictions, effective from today and lasting until October 8, will ban vehicles with non-local plates carrying hazardous chemicals from entering the city. Incoming vehicles will be allowed to stay for three days in Beijing, rather than one week as was previously permitted.

The city has already mobilized 7,000 police and civilians to monitor the security situation. Now they are joined with more civil police, SWAT teams, patrol and armed police, culminating in the highest level of security yet seen for the National Day holiday.