Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Thursday, January 06, 2011

Comparative traffic control

The largest urban areas have traffic problems. How do governments deal with those problems? Are the methods keys to recognizing differences between political systems?

Beijing to limit number of new car license plates to ease traffic congestion

The Beijing municipal government said Thursday it will limit 2011 issuance of new car license plates to 240,000 and implement harsh traffic control measures to ease the city's traffic congestion.

… Beijing car buyers will have to draw lots before obtaining a car license plate, said Zhou Zhengyu, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing municipal government…

In 2010, more than 700,000 news cars were sold in Beijing, bringing the city's total number of automobiles to more than 4.7 million, statistics from the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport (BMCT) show.

According to the city's regulation, a Beijing driver will be permitted to own only one car in his or her name…

Transport for London: Charging Zone

You have to pay an £8 daily Congestion Charge if you drive between 07:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday in the Congestion Charge zone.

Congestion-free Moscow to rely on public transport

After more than 15,000 suggestions about improving Moscow’s traffic problems, City Hall has unveiled some of its jam-busting plans.

And it all boils down to persuading motorists to leave their cars at home and hop on to public transport – even though the city’s network already struggles to carry huge passenger numbers every day.

Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has found 200 billion roubles from the city’s budget which he hopes can transform the metro, bus and overland rail networks – enabling them to carry even more passengers...

An on-going effort to ease the traffic problems will see a move to create off-road car-parking, particularly around suburban metro stations and bus interchanges.

The plan is to encourage drivers from Moscow Region to stop bringing vehicles into the city centre…

Driving Restrictions in Mexico City

Monday: no driving if license plate ends with 5 or 6.
Tuesday: no driving if license plate ends with 7 or 8.
Wednesday: no driving if license plate ends with 3 or 4.
Thursday: no driving if license plate ends with 1 or 2.
Friday: no driving if license plate ends with 9, 0 or a letter.
Saturday and Sunday: All vehicles may be driven.

Unlocking the Lagos gridlock

Lagos has strict traffic regulations but the impunity with which it is flouted is legendary…

To nip the chaotic traffic situation within the metropolis in the bud, the state government established the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) in July 2000 to regulate, control, and manage traffic operations in the state.

Some city residents, however, argue that though the traffic police succeeded in instilling a level of sanity in Lagos drivers during its first decade of operation, its mode of operation leaves much to be desired…

Tehran Traffic Control Center

From here, the chaotic traffic of Tehran is monitored 24 hrs around the clock. Loudspeakers positioned at various points throughout the vast traffic network of Tehran blare out warnings and admonishments to drivers.

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Labels: China, comparative methodology, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, UK