共享车位 (gòngxiǎng chēwèi): Sharing parking lots

For many people, especially those living in the old parts of towns, it is undoubtedly a problem trying to find a parking space after work. Often it is simply a question of luck.

On July 19, the construction material logistics service bureau of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission officially opened its parking lot to the public. Local residents can book parking spaces through an app and use the lot between the hours of 6 pm and 8 am. The overnight parking fee is only 300 yuan ($44) a month.

This is the first time that a Beijing government department has allowed the public to use its parking lot overnight. It is expected by the end of this year there will be about 10,000 overnight parking spaces provided by government departments and institutions.

As more and more people own private cars, parking has become a big headache for many car owners, especially for those who live in downtown areas with insufficient parking spaces. Yet the parking lots of government departments and institutions have few users after office hours. Opening their parking lots to the public meets people's needs, which shows the government's service-oriented attitude.

Technology such as vehicle identification, online booking and online payment makes sharing parking lot possible and improves urban management.