Does a private car with a Beijing Entry Permit belong to passenger vehicles?
2 Answers
It does not belong to passenger vehicles. Below are relevant details: Traffic restrictions for out-of-town vehicles in Beijing: Non-local passenger vehicles (including those with temporary license plates) that need to enter roads within the Sixth Ring Road (excluding the road itself) must apply for a Beijing Entry Permit (Beijing Passenger Vehicle Entry Permit or Beijing Urban Area Entry Permit). Non-local passenger vehicles with a Beijing Entry Permit are prohibited from driving on roads within the Fifth Ring Road (including the road itself) from 7:00 to 9:00 and 17:00 to 20:00 on weekdays. The following vehicles are exempt from the above restrictions: military, armed police, and special vehicles such as police cars and ambulances on duty. Inter-provincial long-distance passenger vehicles and inter-provincial tourist coaches with road transport certificates. The tail number restriction system is a traffic regulation introduced to alleviate urban traffic pressure. During the 2007 Beijing Olympic test events, Beijing implemented an odd-even license plate restriction. On odd-numbered days, only private cars with license plates ending in an odd number are allowed on the road, while on even-numbered days, only those ending in an even number are permitted.
I just checked the relevant traffic regulations, and private cars do indeed fall under the category of passenger vehicles. The Beijing Entry Permit management targets passenger vehicles with a capacity of fewer than 9 people, including the five-seat sedans and seven-seat SUVs we drive daily. Legally, any vehicle designed to carry passengers is classified as such, regardless of whether it's for commercial or private use. Last month, my friend drove a GL8 into Beijing and also had to apply for the permit, which shows that any passenger vehicle is subject to this requirement. Interestingly, motorcycles are exempt, while buses with more than nine seats face stricter regulations. I recommend applying for the electronic version via the 'Beijing Traffic Police' app before your trip—it's much more convenient than the paper version.
