During the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Beijing once again heightened its security measures, leading to traffic restrictions that caused severe congestion in many areas of the city, disrupting the daily commute of its residents.
The “2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation” took place from September 4th to 6th.
According to a report by Hong Kong’s “Ming Pao,” the eastern and western parts of the city were filled with African participants of the summit. Areas near Chang’an Street and the Olympic Park were designated as restricted areas, with roads being closed intermittently throughout the day due to the summit meetings, causing significant inconvenience to Beijing residents’ traveling.
Being late for work by one or two hours during the morning rush hour became the norm. Many people had to depart an hour earlier than usual for work but still barely made it to the office on time. Some netizens shared their experiences of encountering traffic controls seven times in a day, resorting to taking the subway with the expectation of being packed like sardines.
To alleviate worsening congestion during the evening rush hour, elementary and middle schools in the Dongcheng and Chaoyang districts decided to dismiss students earlier, with the new dismissal time set at 3:30 PM.
Nevertheless, as indicated by map applications, by 3:00 PM on the 5th, the entire Chaoyang district was painted in deep red on traffic maps, with adjacent areas also covered in various shades of red. Even the usually smooth-flowing Nansihuan Road turned into a different color due to the congestion.
Driving became a torment under such circumstances. A report mentioned that a journalist had to endure a 10-kilometer journey stuck in traffic for an hour and a half before reaching the destination. Tempers flared among drivers in congested conditions, leading to frequent honking and frustration.
In contrast, some netizens working in the Central Business District took photos of Chang’an Street around 2:00 PM on the 5th, revealing that not a single car was seen on the secure road. One netizen commented humorously, “It feels like Beijing is under lockdown again.”
On the 5th, Chang’an Street was closed to traffic for almost the entire day until 6:00 PM, allowing only pedestrians and bicycles to pass, albeit after facing considerable wait times. Many citizens working along Chang’an Street expressed their struggles with commuting in the past couple of days. Apart from detours due to closed subway entrances, they also encountered various security checkpoints that required identification verification at every intersection, making the commute a series of hurdles.
On August 28, the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau’s Traffic Management Bureau issued a notice stating temporary traffic control measures on certain roads to ensure the smooth conduct of the China-Africa Forum activities:
From 8 PM on September 1 to 12 AM on September 6, the north-south directions of Tianchen East Road from the intersection of National Stadium North Road and Tianchen East Road (excluding) to the intersection of Datun Road and Tianchen East Road (excluding) were closed to vehicles.
From 12 PM on September 5 to the end of the event on September 5, and from 7 AM on September 6 to the end of the event on September 6, the east-west directions of National Stadium North Road from the intersection of Beichen West Road and National Stadium North Road (excluding) to the intersection of Lake View East Road and National Stadium North Road (excluding), and the east-west directions of Datun Road from the intersection of Beichen West Road and Datun Road (excluding) to the intersection of Lake View East Road and Datun Road (excluding) were prohibited for vehicle traffic.