On the Road to Development
Road Safety in the PRC: Past, Present, and Future

By Kim Jraiw
Transport Specialist, ADB

Highway and Motor Vehicles Growth

Motor Vehicle and population growth, economic development, need for goods vehicle, attraction of urban centers for work, services or leisure, together with inability of road networks to meet the ever increasing demand, have resulted in the inevitable problem of road safety in the PRC.

Road safety may be defined as 'a major health problem, associated with negative socioeconomic growth, and poverty problem'.

Implementation of the Government's economic reform policies since 1978 has resulted in rapid growth of the PRC economy, and a corresponding increase in the demand for transport services.

By the end of 2000, the PRC land transport system comprised about 68,000 km of railways, 1.4 million km of highways. However, the density of the PRC transport networks ranks among the lowest in the world relative to either population or geographic area.

Between 1990 and 2000, when economic growth averaged 10.2 percent per annum, domestic passenger transport in all modes grew by 8.0 percent per annum in passenger-km.

In addition, car ownership is growing sharply. In 2000, the PRC motorized vehicle fleet had reached over 62 millions, including 15.5 million trucks, cars and buses and 46.5 million motorcycles and agriculture vehicles. The privately owned fleet of motor vehicles in the PRC increased more than 20 times during 1985-2000, from 0.3 million vehicles to 6.3 million.

Despite the rapid increase in total vehicles, there are only about 1.3 vehicles - truck, car, or bus - for 100 persons. This figure is low relative to other countries in the Asia - Pacific region. Over the next five years, plans are to invest up to $7 billion in automotive manufacturing. PRC's accession to the World Trade Organization would also increase investment in automobile production.