Moves being made toward sustainable transport
The Beijing government is aiming to optimize its transportation network during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25) to ensure green, low-carbon and sustainable development in the capital.
The transportation industry is a key area where energy can be conserved and emissions reduced, said Wu Shijiang, deputy director of the Beijing Commission of Transport, at a recent news conference.
During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), Beijing set a new development concept of “innovation, coordination, green, opening-up and sharing” for its transportation sector.
The momentum is continued in the 14th Five-Year Plan, by building a convenient and integrated public transport system and strengthening the rail transit network in key functional areas. By 2025, the city plans to add 300 kilometers of urban rail transit tracks and have a total track length of 1,600 km, Wu said.
The Beijing government is also implementing a series of measures to improve rail transit transportation efficiency, optimize the city’s bus network and shorten the transfer distance between bus stops and subway stations.
Green mobility in the central areas in the capital is expected to increase to 76.5 percent by 2025.
The government also aims to improve the green transportation of bulk building materials and promote the development of green commercial vehicles and the green transportation of steel and coal, Wu said.
Beijing will also take measures to increase the green transportation of e-commerce delivery, and strengthen the crackdown on overloading and overspeed on highways, he added.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the city government will continue to increase the amount of electric buses and taxis on the road, and further strengthen policy support and related services, including charging piles, Wu noted.
The government is encouraging cars with internal combustion engines to be replaced with new energy vehicles, thus helping to optimize the energy and emissions structure in Beijing.
In early December, the government released a rail transit network plan for 2020-35. According to the plan, Beijing’s rail network, comprised of urban express rail lines and suburban railways, is expected to reach 2,673 km.
The number of subway stations is also being increased. As a result, half of the city’s residents will be able to access an urban rail station within 800 meters.
During the 2020-35 period, the Beijing government aims to reduce per capita carbon emissions from the transport sector by 20 to 30 percent.