Beijing raises car parking fee

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 ◆ Beijing raises car parking fee

Car owners in Beijing will be reaching deeper into their pockets when they park their vehicles, as the city raises parking fees on June 6, 2002.

Authorities say the city is taking the measure to ease parking disorder and raise money for future development.

Depending on the size of their vehicles, time and place, car owners will be paying up to 10 yuan (US$1.2) an hour.

Under the new fee schedule, parking lots inside the Fourth Ring Road will be charging up to 4 yuan (48 US cents) per hour during daytime, and 1 yuan an hour during the night. Fees are halved outside the Fourth Ring.

In downtown Wangfujing and other business areas, parking for a sedan car costs 5 yuan an hour during the day. For coaches and other big vehicles, parking costs 10 yuan per hour.

Beijing has now 1.75 million automobiles, but only 800 parking lots, with a parking capacity of 70,000 vehicles. Authorities say part of the proceeds raised from higher fees will go to developing new parking lots.