Survey respondents include: Zhang Xiaodong, male, civil servant with the Ministry of Communications, Dong Angang, male, General Manager with Zhongrong Hengtong Investment Consulting Co. Ltd., Wan Di, male, car engineer with Siemens Factory Automation Engineering, Ge Jinfeng, female, office manager at the Financial Times Beijing office, Jiang Chao, male, master’s candidate at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, and Wang Yana, female, editor at the Research Institute of Economics and Technology of China National Petroleum Corp.

Is it one of your dreams to own a car? (Or, before you had a car, was it one of your dreams?) Why?

Zhang Xiaodong: Yes.

Dong Angang: It used to be, because it is a symbol of the quality of life.

Wan Di: Not a dream, but a necessity. With a car it is convenient to go anywhere you want.

Ge Jinfeng: Yes. It helps make life more convenient, like having a cell phone.

Jiang Chao: No. We can have so many dreams, not just owning a car.

Wang Yana: Yes. It can help facilitate my life.

What does a car symbolize to you? Is it simply a mode of transportation or a social status symbol? Is owning a car a luxury for you?

Zhang: A kind of transportation.

Dong: A mode of transportation, not a luxury or a symbol of wealth.

Wan: A mode of transportation. I haven’t thought of buying a car yet, because I don’t stay in Beijing often.

Ge: A kind of transportation, not luxury.

Jiang: It’s a luxury to me now. I think the first car is more for transportation, but the second is a luxury that can show your individuality.

Wang: A low or middle range priced car is for transportation, while luxury cars are a symbol of social status and wealth.

What pleasures and troubles does owning a car bring you?

Zhang: The pleasure is the convenience and the troubles are the traffic jams.

Dong: The biggest pleasure is that the car can protect you from the sun, storms, or any other bad weather when you are out. But it needs constant care and maintenance.

Wan: Freedom and convenience. But Beijing’s traffic is a big problem and it’s hard to find a parking place.

Ge: The pleasure is I can drive wherever I want to go and the trouble is the traffic jams and parking difficulties.

Jiang: No comment since I have no car now.

Wang: The pleasure is convenience, such as taking my parents to somewhere far away. I don’t need to worry about getting train tickets during the Spring Festival. The troubles may be the traffic jams, parking difficulties, rising gas prices, traffic accidents, environmental pollution, and so on.

Do you think it will help reduce urban traffic jams and pollution if car ownership is reduced? What can you do to help?

Zhang: Those measures will certainly help, but personally, I cannot do anything. I won’t stop driving a car. You see, Tokyo has 7 million cars and Rio de Janeiro has about 6-7 million cars. The number of cars is not the problem. I think the priority should be to reduce service cars for public affairs, which account for 20 percent of all cars in Beijing.

Dong: Sure. We should buy environmentally friendly cars.

Wan: I think Beijing should learn from Shanghai. Shanghai has as many cars as Beijing, but I seldom came across a traffic jam in Shanghai. I think road planning is the key. In addition, Beijing can build more subways.

Ge: It may help. I myself can reduce the frequency of my driving every week.

Jiang: Of course it helps. Individuals should be rational about buying cars and car owners should reduce the frequency of their driving.

Wang: Yes. Individuals should use public transportation more frequently and consider gas consumption as an important factor when choosing cars.

If conditions permit, would you buy another car? Which brand is your first choice, domestic or foreign? What kind of car do you want most?

Zhang: Sure, I will. I like foreign brands. Pickups.

Dong: Of course, domestic brands, middle and upper level.

Wan: Yes, I will. European or American cars. Sports utility vehicles.

Ge: No. One car is enough for my use. But if I could, I’d buy German or French brands. Mercedes Benz convertible.

Jiang: Yes, but the cars won’t outnumber my family members. European cars, especially from Germany. Land Rover Discovery.

Wang: No, even if financially permitted. Volkswagen series.

The auto industry is one of the pillar industries in China. However, with increasing auto ownership, energy consumption problems have become more serious. The autos consume 85 percent of the gasoline in China and 42 percent of the diesel. What do you think China should do to solve this problem? Should it further promote or restrict private car ownership? Why?

Zhang: The country shouldn’t restrict private car ownership, because public rights shouldn’t restrict civil rights in those areas.

Dong: Shouldn’t restrict. The auto industry is a pillar industry of the national economy and we can develop more environmentally friendly cars. For instance, Japan is developing solar driven vehicles.

Wan: To develop environmentally friendly cars. I don’t think it’s a good idea to reduce private car ownership. We have the right to own a car.

Ge: It’s hard to judge. Encouraging development of cars may waste energy, but also drives development of some other industries and solves the employment problem. The government should balance the relationship and develop rail transportation.

Jiang: In Beijing I think we should restrict car ownership and reduce usage of private cars through measures like raising parking fees.

Wang: To promote clean energy. At present I support the state to restrict private cars. n