Beijing's motor vehicles have exceeded three million, and Beijing has become a city built on an "car's wheels", the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau announced on May 26th.

One in every five residents owns a vehicle, and the proportion of private car ownership reaches over eighty percent. With these three million cars, Beijing will endure pressure from heavy traffic and traffic jams, environmental damage, and parking availability. However, the relevant department of government expressed that Beijing has the confidence to meet these new challenges.

Data shows that it took twenty-nine years for Beijing's motor vehicle ownership to increase from 2,300 in 1949 to 77,000 in 1978; but it took only six years to increase from one million to two million. Many Beijing drivers still remembered the August of 2003 when the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau announced that "Beijing's motor vehicles had reached two million." There was much surprise. Although feelings of surprise still exist, the number of motor vehicles has already exceeded three million.

A chief member of the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau said that from May 26th to the end of this year, Beijing's traffic may most likely go through a tough period: motor vehicle ownership will continue to grow rapidly. The construction project that will cover the roads cannot be completed in a short time; the new subways are not put into use yet; and the organization of bus lines are still adjusting. However, it was reported that, " Beijing already has plenty of experience in dealing with traffic jams; although the number of vehicles has increased by one million, the situation of traffic jams is not as aggravating as they were in 2003."