Congested Beijing adds 1,466 cars to its roads each day

China's capital has added nearly 1,500 new cars to its notoriously congested roads each day so far this year, according to state media, despite a nationwide fall in car sales and efforts to cut traffic.

"The city is facing serious traffic pressure and safety risks due to the growing number of automobiles," Song Jianguo, head of the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau, was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying. Beijing registered 65,970 new vehicles in the first 45 days of the year, or a daily increase of 1,466, Xinhua said.

China has introduced incentives to try to boost domestic demand but official data shows car sales in January fell 7.76 per cent from a year earlier as traditionally roaring economic growth slowed.

Beijing has also introduced rules aimed at taking a fifth of private cars off the road each day, according to licence plate numbers, to ease congestion and pollution.

China's roads have long been among the most dangerous in the world due to overloaded and speeding trucks and drivers who switch lanes without signalling and often ignore traffic lights.