Congestion Problem in Beijing, China Research Paper

Congestion Problem in Beijing, China - Research Paper Example This is the political center of China, and it is among the modern and dynamic cities in cities. In just over a decade, the population Beijing has grown by nearly 42 per cent to nearly 20 million people, and this makes it one of the fastest growing cities in the world (Feng, 2012). Unlike the previous years, the scene of bicycles as previously witnessed has been replaced with by parked cars and crowded subways. The number of registered automobiles grew from 1.9 million in 2002 to more than 5 million automobiles in 2012 (Feng, 2012). It is important to remember that Beijing has more than 15 subways and rail lines totaling to more than 450 kilometers, one of the longest in the world. Despite this, congestion is still a major problem. The question therefore remains, what causes this congestion? The congestion in this city is caused by a number of factors. First, there is the phenomenon of motor and non-motor vehicle mixed traffic (MNM) (Hua, et al, 2013). This is the case where traffic is characterized by both motor vehicles and other non-motor vehicles. In Beijing, there are a high number of bicycles, and this poses a major challenge to traffic management. It is difficult to control the bypassing of vehicles, pedestrians and cycles. This confusion disrupts the flow of traffic, leading to congestion.