Harbin gets tough on congestion

Harbin has seen a dramatic reduction in traffic congestion, according to statistics released by Amap, a Chinese navigation service provider.

The city in Heilongjiang province fell from being the most congested city in China to the eighth during the first quarter of this year. 

Statistics reveal that from January to April, the average congestion index for Harbin was 1.465, down 4.56 percent from the same period last year. It is thought to be a direct result of the local government’s comprehensive measures to control traffic congestion. 

Since the start of this year the city’s government has gathered the heads of the local bureaus of development reform, planning, management and transportation to focus on cutting traffic jams. The government has also taken the advice of experts through a series of specially-convened forums.

A plan was agreed upon to tackle congestion during 2018 and it involves 44 innovative measures such as installing smart cameras to quickly detect crime and stolen vehicles.

The number of parking spaces in the city has also been increased to 740, with a target of 10,000 by the end of this year. In addition, parking lot opening times are now staggered to avoid too much traffic heading to one place.

Furthermore, the city is working on plans to better manage its busses and other forms of transport to ensure smoother traffic flow.