In the following words, I briefly discuss the odd-even license plate ban policy in Beijing. Most of the reference I use are in the original language-Chinese, apologies if there are misunderstanding of the language.

Coverage of the policy:

Odd-even license plate rule, a traffic ban based on license plate number, requires that private owned vehicle with last digit number(1,3,5,7,9) on license plate odd can travel on public road only on odd days of each month( 1st,3rd,5th,7th,etc.),and vehicle with last digit on license plate(2,4,6,8,0)even can travel on public rad only on even days of each month( 2nd,4th,6th, 8th,etc.)Beijing Transport Administration Commission toke out this rule in Good Luck Beijing Pre-Olympic Games, aiming to reduce traffic congestion. At that time,  this rule applies on private vehicles, not on taxis, buses, or any public vehicles; until in October 2012,Beijing Transport Administration Commission decided to extended Odd-Even License Plate Rule to all motor-vehicles, excluding the following kinds :

1.post office vehicles,policy vehicles,ambulance,fire trucks,and engineering rescue vehicles;

2.buses, commercial shuttles, taxis, school buses, company commuter shuttles, and sightseeing buses;

3.Law enforcement and administrative vehicles with signs and are on duty;

4.Gardening and sanitation vehicles, road maintenance vehicles, and hearse

And all vehicles disobey this rule will be no longer able to get auto insurance in the following year as punishment.

Equality of the Policy:

Equality has always been the most heated discussed aspect of the Odd-Even License Plate Ban policy. The majority of Beijing residents consider this policy unequal due to the following views:

1. Rich and Poor: With the implementation of odd-even license plate ban policy, Beijing residents with private car find their going out less easier as a result for sure. And wealthier people intend to make their life easier by purchasing another car with an opposite parity in license plate. Some even sell their plate number for large amount of money, and quite a few affordable rich people will buy. While common people have to drive one and the other day, rich people manage to have access to private vehicles just by driving different vehicles one and other day.

2. Folks and Officers: There are some kinds of vehicle that don’t have to follow odd-even license plate ban, as discussed in the first part of this blog. Many residents in Beijing find the exemptions unequal. For instance, this policy rules out law enforcement and administrative vehicles, but actually it is hard to tell whether those car are really on duty or not. What if some officers just misuse of their authority, what can us common people do? In addition, the sign and sirens of emergency vehicles can be purchase in black market, it is not rare that private car decorate itself as an emergency car and just go out every day, ignoring the odd-even license plate ban.

Effectiveness:

There is one paper that has tremendous views online on the effectiveness of odd-even license plate number ban policy, in which indicate the policy has not quite reached the level of “effectiveness” in the following aspects:

1.Lack of Public Transit Priority: The author indicate that a successful reducing congestion policy would provide public transit with enough right of way. However, public transit in Beijing was not treated with priority but with equality with all other vehicles on road, which is not effective. Large numbers of private vehicles would use bus lane in rush hours, making public transit a mess, an effective policy in reducing traffic congestion would enforce the management of private vehicle misusing bus lanes and bus stops.

2. Improper design of road and lanes:

The paper also pulls out that the odd-even license plate ban policy just gave “temporary relief of the symptom”,and it “cures the symptoms,not the disease”. The paper indicate the main cause of the horrible traffic congestion is not too many vehicles on the road, but improperly designed road and traffic lane.

References:

1. BaiduPedia. <http://baike.baidu.com/view/2251702.htm>

2. The estimation and comparison on traffic policies in Beijing.<http://m.club.sohu.com/zz0580/thread/!137e6dedd24b7489>