Car Ownership Control in Chinese Mega Cities : Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou

Three mega cities in China – Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou – have implemented a unique quota policy to control car ownership growth. In this paper, we explore how special characteristics of China's rapid urbanisation and motorisation contribute to the formulation of this unique policy. These cities, however, have adopted different policy designs. Auction, lottery and a hybrid of these two mechanisms are used in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou respectively. We analyse the design, evolution and effectiveness of these policy measures. We also discuss how these measures can fit with an integrated transportation demand management policy