New service gets you out of traffic jams -- for a price
Late last summer, you might recall, a stretch of highway in northern China was home to one of the most bizarre news stories in recent history:
“Chinese drivers stuck in month-long traffic jam.”
Wait, what? Indeed, such a headline puzzled many – the jam of cars stretched about 60-miles of highway because of construction delays – but is also brings forth one, important question. What kind of idiot would stay in a traffic jam for thirty freaking days?!
Yet going forward, if drivers insist on maintaining and not compromising their route, there may soon be a point of relief.
A new service in China aims to connect traffic jam-stuck drivers with wheelmen that will come pick them up at the site of congestion, whisk them away to their meeting or appointment and finish their trip – with their car – for them.
So, you’re stuck in a hopeless jam with no exits in site – and, in a country with 205 million drivers, this tends to happen – and you’re late for a flight. You call up this service, which sends two employees on a motorcycle to snake through traffic to find you and your idled car. The motorcycle’s passenger trades places with you, finishes your route with your wheels, and you take off on the back of the bike to your destination.
How much the service might cost isn’t set in stone, but a $60 charge figure has been thrown around in the media.
“There is a demand for the service, but it’s risky,” one source told China Daily, noting that many motorists aren’t likely to trust strangers with their vehicles. And, further, the idea of hopping on the back of a motorcycle that’s weaving in and out of traffic might not be high on some drivers’ priority lists.
Still, similar programs have been unveiled in other areas of the country, and there may be little doubt that people with the means might pay a premium to get out of the perils of days-long traffic jams.
Would you ever pay to have someone pick you up to get you out of a nasty traffic jam?
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: tm | Jan 11, 2022 11:32:56 AM
Why don't they just drive motorcycles to begin with then? Or better yet, take transit if the roads are THAT congested!
Posted by: curtis | Jan 11, 2022 2:01:21 PM
i have an idea, lets import half of the people in that traffic jam to vancouver!
Posted by: Steve | Jan 11, 2022 3:10:17 PM
If only they collected road tolls / fuel duty, congestion charge or sales tax on fuel or a license fee on vehicles or a tax on tires or a tax on air conditioning in cars, or a tire disposal tax or a tax on the sale of vehicles or a tax on traffic infraction fines or a tax on mandatory insurance and used that money to build roads to help the economy grow and reduce congestion. Nah... people would never put up with that much tax especially if they knew how much would get skimmed off to go other places
Posted by: gregg | Jan 11, 2022 6:08:42 PM
GET CITIES TO DO THEIR STUPID ROAD WORK AT NIGHT!!!USE LARGE LIGHTS THAT THE FILM INDUSTRY USES!!SIMPLE SOLUTION....LIMIT BIG RIGS ..IE NOT ALLOWED TO BE ON ROAD BETWEEN 7-830AM AND 4-6PM. PERIOD. THIS FORCES THEM TO TAKE THEIR BREAKS THAT MOST DONT DO!!!TRAFFIC SOLUTION PERIOD!!!
Posted by: robin | Jan 11, 2022 7:30:05 PM
this need this service in toronto. worst traffic in the world includin china. look at 401 statistics.
Posted by: Sheldon | Jan 11, 2022 8:04:27 PM
They need to get into their senses, either build more rapid transit or get a market going to get people to ride 100cc mopeds to get around.
Posted by: Dave | Jan 12, 2022 6:31:50 AM
This is clearly not a solution, not even a bandaid. These people are making a profit from others' misfortunes, like selling food to earthquake victims. This kind of business should be an emabarrassment to the government and not a curiousity. It's a good example of how the traditional thinking of Chinese leaders where a few people try to run everything doesn't work.