Nearly half of Beijing citizens oppose restrictions on the development of private cars aimed at solving chronic traffic jams in the Chinese capital, Beijing News reported on Tuesday.

A survey, organized by the Beijing-based newspaper, found that 47 percent of the respondents say they are against restrictions on the growth of private cars. They believe development of public transportation is the fundamental way to help ease crippling traffic jams in Beijing.

Some 60 percent of the respondents hold that traffic jam is a serious problem and affects the image of this capital city.

And 52 percent believe that irrational urban planning should be blamed for the city's worsening traffic congestion.

Another 70 percent of the respondents say that improvement of management on traffic control and better transportation facilities will be helpful.

Beijing, with 15.2 million registered inhabitants, has more than 2 million cars. The number is expected to increase to 3.2 million by 2008.

(Xinhua News Agency August 3, 2005)