The Beijing News, January 19, 2011

Today's Beijing News highlights the beginning of Spring Festival Rush (春运), where 2.853 billion train trips will be made by passengers will be traveling to and from their hometowns to spend the holiday, using various transport. Train tickets are also in short supply, which the Beijing News reported on.

The case of Shi Jianfeng has been in papers a lot lately. A reporter from the Beijing News tried to get a response from a high official in the Transport Ministry (交通部). First, the issue of Beijing traffic jams was addressed:

“Beijing's traffic control via license plates, limitations on car purchase, and the policy of limiting cars from other provinces to enter the city, have all been recognized by high officials. These measures might used in other cities," the deputy Minister for Transport Weng Mengyong (翁孟勇) said yesterday at the State Council Information Office press conference, in answer to this reporter's questions.

Also, Weng Mengyong has noticed the measures that the Beijing Municipal Government took to solve traffic congestion: "I have obviously felt myself that these policies have had positive effects after being implemented."

When this reporter asked about the incident of highways charging "sky-high tolls", the deputy Minister responded: "It's like this, without the policy of highway tolls, today's achievements in China's transport system wouldn't have happened, neither would the current situation." The deputy Minister said that the highway itself has social benefits, and the highway fees are connected to people's lives so he understands the attention that people have paid to it.

The main picture on the page is the "China Experience" short film and billboard that was unveiled in New York's Time Square.