Cars run slowly on a main road in Beijing, capital of China, April 12, 2010. Beijing began Monday adjusting working hours for about 810,000 workers to alleviate the city's traffic jams. According to a notice issued by the municipal government, Beijing's party and government departments, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), institutions and social groups should operate from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. since Monday, rather than from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. as before. (Xinhua/Li Wen)
BEIJING, April 12 (Xinhua) -- More than 810,000 Beijing residents have been asked to start work half an hour later to alleviate the city's traffic jams.
The working hours for Beijing's party and government departments, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), institutions and social groups were changed from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. since Monday, according to a notice issued by the municipal government.
The new rule does not apply to the central state organs in Beijing, schools, hospitals and large shopping centers, the notice said.
Statistics showed the traffic flow on Monday morning declined compared with that of Monday mornings in the past, said Zhang Chenjun, deputy director with the command center of the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau.
The city's morning rush hour was postponed to 8 a.m. from 7:30 a.m., Zhang said.
However, some citizens said they could hardly see any difference made by the new rule.
A Beijing citizen surnamed Li said he did not save any time on his way to work this morning.
"Today I spent 50 minutes riding the bus as usual," Li said, adding that his home was just several kilometers away from office.
At around 8 a.m., traffic jams could be seen from the center's monitors around hospitals, schools and other infamous congested sections.
Citizens need some time to adapt to the new working hours before the policy showed its effects, Zhang said.
The adoption of staggered working hours is Beijing's latest move to dredge the city's often congested roads, which have been packed with more than 4 million cars.
Earlier this month, Beijing began doubling daytime parking fees in downtown areas and prolonging a car use restriction that banned its motorists from driving for one day every week.
From July 20 to Sept. 20 in 2008, Beijing's SOEs, institutions and social groups were ordered to stagger their working hours to ensure a smooth traffic during the Summer Olympics.
Cars run on a main road in Beijing, capital of China, April 12, 2010. Beijing began Monday adjusting working hours for about 810,000 workers to alleviate the city's traffic jams. According to a notice issued by the municipal government, Beijing's party and government departments, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), institutions and social groups should operate from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. since Monday, rather than from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. as before. (Xinhua/Li Wen)
