Source: CCTV.com

07-14-2008 16:04

Special Report:   2008 Beijing Olympic Games

A temporary traffic rule will be enforced in Beijing until September. All vehicles with odd numbers will only be allowed on the roads on odd days, and the other half can only be driven on even days. To solve the problem, a new trend of car pooling is emerging, and has gained instant popularity.

Beijing will take nearly half of the capital's 3.3 million vehicles off the road, by allowing them to be driven only on alternate days, depending on whether they have even or odd license-plate numbers.

While the regulations don't come into effect until July 20th, Beijing residents are already preparing to cope with the driving restrictions. The odd-even rules are intended to relieve traffic pressures, but some drivers are finding ways to stay behind the wheel. But some people have already bought a second car, with plates ending in a number complementing their existing ones.

Friends who can't afford a second car, are car pooling.

BJ Resident, said, "My car plate is an odd number. So I need to find a partner to drive me on the even days. It's not that bad, because the daily commute won't be boring and we could also save some money."

BJ Resident, said, "The Olympic Games is for everyone. We should support it, then the traffic will be much better."

If you type Car Pooling in Google or Baidu, millions of links will come up. Many on-line forums also see a hike of the number of posts on the topic of ride-sharing.

A lot of people just hope the trend of car pooling will extend well beyond the Olympic Games. But some experts are also warning drivers to protect their own legal rights.

Lawyer said, "When car-pooling, people should sign contracts when they are the drivers. Details should include, costs, personal belongs, and insurance coverage."

Insurance Agent, said, "If anything goes wrong with car-pooling, all the compensation will be paid by the vehicle's auto insurance. But the drivers have to be the car owners, otherwise, they will only get 90 percent of all the money."

Experts also suggest, people should be careful when selecting partners, especially those who are found online.

Some are also suggesting that people should choose car owners with better insurance coverage.

The fundamental difference between illegal cabs and car pooling comes down to a matter of profit. Insurance experts say, as long as you use your car for a typical car pool, and only collect costs from the passengers, your insurance policy provides regular coverage.

 

Editor:Yang Jie