Comments on: Parking increases in Beijing http://granitestudio.org/2007/05/15/parking-increases-in-beijing/ A Qing historian reads the newspaper... Sat, 02 Jul 2011 03:31:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: 花崗齋之愚公 http://granitestudio.org/2007/05/15/parking-increases-in-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-719 花崗齋之愚公 Wed, 16 May 2007 07:19:00 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/?p=238#comment-719 I'm not sure how good an economy is if you can't see anything because of the smog or get anywhere because of the traffic even if you could see anything. I’m not sure how good an economy is if you can’t see anything because of the smog or get anywhere because of the traffic even if you could see anything.

]]> By: Froog http://granitestudio.org/2007/05/15/parking-increases-in-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-718 Froog Wed, 16 May 2007 06:49:00 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/?p=238#comment-718 They limit the number of new registrations released each month in Shanghai - it results in an auction system for new plates which adds 30-35k RMB to the price of a new car. It doesn't seem to have caused any public outcry, and it has kept the growth in private cars well behind Beijing and the rest of China.<br/><br/>There's a simmering spat between the central government and the Shanghai government over this. Basically, national policy is that, because the motor industry is the fastest growth point in the manufacturing sector, it is to be encouraged at all costs, as a "pillar industry" that will help to promote growth throughout the whole economy. <br/><br/>Shanghai has therefore been told, "restricting car sales is illegal"; and Shanghai has replied, "eat my shorts". Hilarious. This one will run and run. They limit the number of new registrations released each month in Shanghai – it results in an auction system for new plates which adds 30-35k RMB to the price of a new car. It doesn’t seem to have caused any public outcry, and it has kept the growth in private cars well behind Beijing and the rest of China.

There’s a simmering spat between the central government and the Shanghai government over this. Basically, national policy is that, because the motor industry is the fastest growth point in the manufacturing sector, it is to be encouraged at all costs, as a “pillar industry” that will help to promote growth throughout the whole economy.

Shanghai has therefore been told, “restricting car sales is illegal”; and Shanghai has replied, “eat my shorts”. Hilarious. This one will run and run.

]]> By: 花崗齋之愚公 http://granitestudio.org/2007/05/15/parking-increases-in-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-716 花崗齋之愚公 Wed, 16 May 2007 05:41:00 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/?p=238#comment-716 That's it--I'm getting a man purse, white socks, and my own driver.<br/><br/>If you can't beat him...<br/><br/>Seriously, why don't they just limit car registrations...oh right, because if people can't feel like their standard of living is noticeably improving and if they can't show off their new wealth, they're gonna have to blame somebody... That’s it–I’m getting a man purse, white socks, and my own driver.

If you can’t beat him…

Seriously, why don’t they just limit car registrations…oh right, because if people can’t feel like their standard of living is noticeably improving and if they can’t show off their new wealth, they’re gonna have to blame somebody…

]]> By: Froog http://granitestudio.org/2007/05/15/parking-increases-in-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-715 Froog Wed, 16 May 2007 05:22:00 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/?p=238#comment-715 The reason (or one of them) why the government can't restrict traffic by raising parking fees through the roof is that labour is so negligibly expensive here. It's only going to cost 30 or 40 RMB per day to hire a full-time driver, and have him take your car home again while you're at the office. Or (more likely, since fuel is not really that dear either), have him drive round and round the Ringroads until he's needed again (a technique of course pioneered by ambulances a few years ago, to try to keep the SARS patients away from the inquisitive gaze of the WHO). The reason (or one of them) why the government can’t restrict traffic by raising parking fees through the roof is that labour is so negligibly expensive here. It’s only going to cost 30 or 40 RMB per day to hire a full-time driver, and have him take your car home again while you’re at the office. Or (more likely, since fuel is not really that dear either), have him drive round and round the Ringroads until he’s needed again (a technique of course pioneered by ambulances a few years ago, to try to keep the SARS patients away from the inquisitive gaze of the WHO).

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