Two weeks after Beijing and many other parts of China were covered by toxic smog, some cities are experiencing the same conditions again. But the smog this time appears more hazardous, reducing visibility and causing huge traffic jams. Perhaps one way of reducing the smog is to cut the number of cars on the streets, including official cars plying to deliver gifts before Spring Festival, says an article in Qilu Evening News. Excerpts:

The smog this time covers 1.3 million square kilometers and is particularly hazardous in Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei province, and Jinan, capital of Shandong province. It poses a health risk even in other provincial capitals such as Wuhan, Hubei province, and Xi'an, Shaanxi province. Smog-affected cities are encountering another problem: serious traffic jams.

The cause of the smog and thus the traffic jams can be attributed partly to the increasing number of cars, especially official cars used to deliver gifts before Spring Festival.

Pollution levels have risen with more official cars blocking the already busy roads and thus causing traffic jams and increasing emissions. It has been a tradition for centuries to give gifts during Spring Festival, but when public resources are used for the purpose some people become more generous, even extravagant. A case in point is the use of official cars to deliver gifts.

The Party is teaching people to practice thrift, especially when the occasion involves public expenditure. But the use of official cars to deliver gifts is contrary to that policy, especially when many cities are covered by hazardous smog. This is turning the officials into polluters, which is opposed to their role as promoters of environmentally friendly practices.

Therefore, they should stop using official cars to deliver gifts to reduce pollution and clear the smog.