Just three decades ago, the jungle of smokestacks that ruled the Shanghai skyline was widely regarded as a sign of modernity. Now we all know how crazy that kind of thinking was. Most city folks today are adverse to such chimneys in their neighborhood. Automobiles are now the new symbol of modernity.

Known as the "kingdom of bicycles" only 20 years ago, China has raced to become a kingdom of cars.

In just two decades, the car craze has propelled the country to become the world's largest and the fastest-growing automobile market. China's car sales exceeded 18 million units last year, and that number is likely to hit 40 million by 2020, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers predicts. Major automakers, such as General Motors, Ford Motor, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai, are betting big on China.

However, some city planners have realized that too many cars are a bad thing, causing serious traffic jams and pollution, especially in Beijing, which many locals have taken to calling it ducheng, the Chinese for "city of congestion".

Some big cities, such as Shanghai and Beijing, have taken measures to limit the number of cars by auctioning license plates. However, city transport experts at a recent meeting held in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro believe auctioning license plates or imposing congestion charges are actually heading in the wrong way.

Cars should be discouraged, panelists at the meeting on Sustainable Transport in the Cities of the Future agreed, sending a stern warning to Chinese cities.

The solution, according to the experts, is to shift to a Rapid Bus Transit system, as well as rail-based mass transit, pedestrian paths and cycling networks.

It is true that Shanghai and Beijing have both built an extensive subway network in the past decade, yet the number of automobiles on the streets continues to rise.

At the same time, city streets have been revamped catering to the growing needs of drivers, not cyclists. In cities like Shanghai, bicycle lanes are hard to find and cyclists find themselves pushed onto the sidewalks.

Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, has warned that China will become nothing but the largest parking lot on the planet if all Chinese model the Americans and get behind the wheel of an automobile. And this does not take into account the more than 60,000 traffic deaths every year or the growing health issues caused by cars in China.

Fortunately more people seem to realize that something needs to be done. In a nationwide city planning meeting last year, Vice-Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Qiu Baoxing warned of Chinese cities becoming like car-dominated Los Angeles in the United States.

He said Chinese cities must develop comprehensive and green public transport systems, pedestrian space and bicycle lanes.

People's Daily recently reported that Beijing will put 2,000 rental bicycles in two downtown districts to encourage people to use this low-carbon means of transport. The total number is expected to increase to 25,000 by the year-end. In another report, Shanghai has included cycling and low-carbon transport in its 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15).

China can learn from the Netherlands in this respect. The 16 million Dutch have 18 million bicycles and cycle lanes account for 30.6 percent of the nation's road mileage.

China should take great pride in once being the biggest bicycle kingdom in the world and it's time to regain that past glory.

The author is Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China Daily USA. E-mail: [email protected]

(China Daily 06/29/2012 page10)