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Download Despite the appeal of public transportation in the Chinese capital, private vehicles remain many residents' first choice for getting around. "It's horribly crowded in the subway and hard to be on time when taking the bus," said Hu Yanrong, a 32-year-old consultant who drives 18 kilometers to her office every day. "We all know car exhaust contributes to the haze, but it's too exhausting to take a bus to work every day. "No one wants to make the pollution worse, but you can't sacrifice your career either." Hu said the government is neglecting its responsibilities by making it the obligation of residents to improve air quality while depriving them of the right to drive. On Monday, the capital maintained its orange pollution alert, the second-highest level, and severe smog is forecast to linger in Beijing until Thursday. The concentration of PM2.5 in Beijing soared on Sunday night, the government said. PM2.5 is particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers, a major contributor to the smog. Beijing Commission of Transport data put this weekend's traffic index at the second-lowest of the past 10 weekends, showing that traffic congestion - or the number of private vehicles on the road - was significantly reduced. The commission said the index is based on the average speed of the city's more than 60,000 taxis. An index of 0 to 4 suggests smooth traffic, 4 to 6 reflects slight congestion, 6 to 8 severe congestion, and 8 to 10 the highest congestion. | 
