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Since 2001,China has seen a rapid increase in the number of private cars on the road.Since China entered the WTO in December 2001,its auto market has become more open,driving the fast development of the domestic auto industry.With the increased number of models available,
the prices have also lowered.Together with a series of government measures encouraging families to purchase cars,private cars are replacing service cars as the major sector of the car market here.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics,in 1990 there were only 5.54 million automobiles in China.Of the total,820,000,or 14.8 percent,were owned by individuals. Among these,580,000 were trucks and only 240,000 were passenger vehicles,and of these,many were mini-vans.The proportion of private cars was actually very small. But by June this year,the number of private automobiles had topped 32 million,nearly 40 fold the number in 1990.Private automobiles now account for 60.48 percent of the country’s total.Among private automobiles, more than 13 million were private cars, accounting for 76.14 percent of the total of private automobiles.At present,more than 100 million Chinese have obtained drivers licenses.
Two decades ago,people regarded automobiles as capital goods,and at the time nobody imagined they would become personal consumption goods.Now,more than 10 million households have their own cars.
Driving to vacation has become part of the leisure lifestyle for many car owners.On weekends many drive to the countryside for a chance to relax in nature.Some of them even utilize the week-long May Day holiday or the National Day holiday to drive to other cities.Because of this,travel agencies have launched services for these driving vacationers.Websites have been created where people can post calls for driving and travel mates.
The choice of cars reflects how the Chinese are keen on face-saving. Environmentally friendly cars are not popular,and if financially allowed,people will often choose mid-or high-range cars,or even imported cars—all with higher emissions. Even if low-emission cars are more suitable, many people won’t consider buying one. Even those who have bought low-emission cars are thinking of changing to ones with higher emissions.Big,beautiful cars mean big face,which translates into big prestige.
In recent years,the sales volume of imported cars has increased and some luxury cars have even become favorites in the Chinese market.According to statistics from the Traffic Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, by June 2007,the number of imported cars had reached 1.9 million,an increase of 75,730 or 4.14 percent compared with the end of 2006. Among the imported motor vehicles,the world’s top luxury cars such as Bentley, Cadillac,Porsche and Ferrari have seen their growth rates soar over 100 percent.
In China,parking difficulties madden car owners in many cities.Unable to find parking spaces,many drivers have to park their car wherever they can find an opening. Because of this,the safety of the cars cannot be secured.
Along with the increase in automobiles has come the rapid growth in fuel consumption.At present,automobiles in China consume 85 percent of the country’s total gasoline output and 42 percent of the diesel oil output.
Growth of automobiles also creates more traffic jams.Wang Qishan,Mayor of Beijing,once said that what concerns him most is the traffic problem.Monitoring by the traffic management department of Beijing shows that during rush hours,the average speed on some roads is only 11 km per hour,the same as that of bicycles. Traffic jams waste a lot of time and money. According to economist Mao Yushi,every year Beijing suffers direct losses of 6 billion yuan from traffic jams.Traffic jams and traffic accidents cause the country to lose 2 percent of its GDP every year.Many other cities,even small and medium-sized ones,are now faced with traffic jams. Because of these traffic pressures,cities are expanded and roads are built,sharpening the conflict between land supply and demand.
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