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Beijing Opens New Subway Lines, Tightens License Plate Rules for 7 Million Vehicles
City officials apply targeted restrictions and add parking while opening new transit segments as motor vehicle counts rise past seven million.
How we reported this
Beijing recorded 7.128 million motor vehicles as of 2022, an increase of 763,000 from 2019, according to transport data. This growth occurs even though the city maintains the world's largest subway system serving a population of 22 million.
The increase in vehicles has lengthened daily delays for residents. Average weekday congestion time reached 100 minutes in the first half of the year, 30 minutes more than the same period the prior year, with a traffic index of 5.0. These conditions affect travel within the 5th Ring Road and beyond during peak hours.
License Plate Limits and the 2025 Action Plan
New driving restrictions based on the last digit of license plates took effect in March 2025. The rules bar certain vehicles from roads on designated weekdays between 7:00 and 20:00 inside the 5th Ring Road. At the same time the 2025 Beijing Comprehensive Traffic Management Action Plan sets 32 key tasks, among them completing remaining segments of Subway Line 17 and Line 6 plus the addition of 35,000 new parking spaces in the downtown area.
These steps address persistent bottlenecks reported across central corridors. The plan focuses on both supply of transit capacity and management of road space rather than relying on a single approach.
Context Among Other Major Cities
Many large global cities face comparable pressure from rising vehicle numbers and limited road space. Beijing's combination of weekday prohibitions tied to license plates and continued subway openings follows a pattern seen in dense urban centers that pair demand controls with public transit investment. The presence of the largest subway network has not eliminated congestion, a result also observed where rail systems operate at high capacity without matching road-use limits.
Further tasks listed in the action plan remain the main avenue for additional changes. Residents can review updates on the Beijing municipal government site for details on Line 17 and Line 6 openings or new parking locations.