Beijing Traffic: License Rules, Vehicle Counts and Congestion Timings

Beijing has introduced license plate-based traffic restrictions that operate from 7:00 to 20:00 inside the 5th Ring Road and ban vehicles with specific last digits on designated weekdays, such as plates ending in 2 or 7 on Mondays.

Vehicle Totals and City Rankings

As of 2022 Beijing recorded 7.128 million motor vehicles. The same data set showed the city at the top of China’s 2023 traffic congestion list with an index value of 2.08. These figures provide the baseline against which daily restriction enforcement and long-term planning are measured.

Daily Congestion Windows

Traffic congestion reaches its highest levels in the morning peak between 6:30 and 9:00 and again in the afternoon peak between 4:00 and 7:00. Average weekday congestion lasts 100 minutes in recent years. The restriction hours of 7:00 to 20:00 overlap directly with both peak periods, aiming to reduce the volume of vehicles during those measured windows.

Subway as Primary Alternative

The subway system serves as the primary transport mode with 29 operational lines that cover major regions. During peak hours the network offers the most time-saving option compared with road travel under the current restriction regime.

2025 Management Plan Targets

The 2025 Beijing Comprehensive Traffic Management Action Plan sets out 32 tasks. These include adding 35,000 parking spaces, constructing 11.36 km of non-motorized lanes and expanding subway lines 17 and 6. Implementation of these measures will be tracked against the existing vehicle count and congestion duration data.

Residents subject to the weekday plate restrictions can check the last digit of their plate against the published schedule before entering the 5th Ring Road zone between 7:00 and 20:00. Subway lines remain available throughout the day as the documented alternative for peak-period travel.