Shenzhen residents and enterprises have responded positively to initiatives promoting green commuting and flexible work during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting week next month, with 500,000 drivers voluntarily agreeing to stay off the road.

Within 24 hours of the initiatives’ launch on Oct 15, 120,000 Shenzhen residents had registered voluntary vehicle grounding from Nov 16 to 20. As of Saturday night, the number of registered vehicles had surpassed 500,000, according to Shenzhen Traffic Police.

As the host of APEC in 2026, China will hold the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen from Nov 18 to 19. The APEC CEO Summit will take place from Nov 17 to 18. Shenzhen has launched a citywide campaign a month ahead of the meetings to ease traffic pressure in key areas.

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While striving to provide high-quality services for the conference, the authorities also aim to meet the city’s basic livelihood needs as well as the public’s normal travel needs.

Reducing the use of private vehicles is a key measure. Car owners participating in the campaign will receive APEC-themed commemorative traffic cards and vehicle stickers, and earn points that can be redeemed for public transportation benefits and other gifts.

Other measures include increasing public transportation capacity, as well as encouraging enterprises to adopt flexible work arrangements, such as allowing employees to commute during off-peak times or work from home.

Fares for the city’s metro and buses will be reduced by 50 percent. Service intervals on some subway lines will be shortened to two minutes, and more than 50 new bus-to-subway shuttle routes will be launched.

Li Qining, who works at a foreign trade company in Shenzhen, pledged not to use his private car for five days to support the city’s hosting of the mega event, which he described as a source of pride for Shenzhen residents and Chinese people alike.

He said he will prioritize public transportation for his commute to work. Thanks to the company’s flexible arrangements, he can also work from home from Nov 16 to 20.

Jia Meng, who usually drives to the border crossing on her way to work in Hong Kong, is the first Shenzhen resident to volunteer to suspend her vehicle use. She said she hoped to play her small part in helping Shenzhen host a successful international meeting.

Yang Cheng, who is also among the first batch of residents participating in the green travel campaign, said he didn’t expect so many people to voluntarily sign up on the very first day. As a resident of Shenzhen, he said he is very willing to help the city complete its mission.

Since the initiative was launched, an increasing number of Shenzhen-based companies — particularly leading firms in finance, traffic and energy sectors — have responded with tailored measures based on their specific business needs and employees’ circumstances.

Contact writer at bingcun@chinadailyhk.com