Since the Guangzhou Government¡¯s ban on motorcycles last year, sales of compact vehicles have increased by 50%. But due to the influx of more cars, rush hour periods started lasting longer than before. However, rising oil prices and parking fees have recently forced some car owners to change their habits, causing traffic conditions in Guangzhou to ease.

According to traffic police statistics, the number of traffic jams and accidents has clearly decreased since the oil price hike on June 20th. Traffic jams alone were down by 38.5% throughout the city last week.

Mr. Chen, a taxi driver, said that traffic jams used to begin at about 4 p.m., but now start at about 5 p.m.

On the busy Huangpu Road in Tianhe District, traffic jams usually last from about 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., but now the period has shortened from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. At Sanyuanli, famous for its traffic jams - especially after the motorcycle ban - the amount of traffic has been reduced by 5% to 10%.

The better traffic conditions in Guangzhou have happened for good reasons. The rise of oil prices and parking fares have made many car owners choose public transportation instead. Carpooling has become a popular option for drivers as well. As a result of these changes, the traffic department has managed to create better traffic conditions on busy thoroughfares such as Dongfeng Road, Huanshi Road, Jiefang Road, Guangzhou Road and Huangpu Road.