More than 1 million Shenzhen residents had signed up by Friday to leave their private cars off the road for at least one day during the APEC meetings in November, as the city seeks to ease traffic congestion and promote greener travel.

The milestone came just 15 days after Shenzhen launched its voluntary “Green Travel, Smooth Traffic” initiative Oct. 15, encouraging motorists to switch to public transportation, cycling or walking between Nov. 16 and 20.

Public response has been strong. More than 20,000 people registered within three hours of the campaign's launch, with participation reaching 500,000 by Oct. 24. By Thursday, more than 900,000 vehicles had been registered for temporary suspension of use.

How to participate

Motorists can pledge to leave their cars parked for one or more days during the five-day period. Registration is available through the Shenzhen traffic police's official WeChat account "深圳交警," where owners of Shenzhen-registered vehicles can select their car-free dates and provide vehicle and parking information. Applications must be submitted at least one day in advance.

Traffic police have also organized outreach activities in residential communities, shopping areas, businesses and industrial parks to help residents register and learn about the initiative.

Rewards for keeping pledges

Participants who honor their pledges will earn reward points redeemable for APEC Shenzhen Tong commemorative transit cards. Those who fail to keep their vehicles off the road on their selected dates will not face penalties but will forfeit the corresponding points.

Registered participants can also receive commemorative car stickers featuring the black-faced spoonbill. The stickers are available at designated gas stations, charging stations and other locations through Dec. 31, except during Nov. 16-20.

The initiative is part of Shenzhen's broader efforts to manage traffic during the APEC meetings. Authorities hope it will also encourage more residents to embrace greener travel in their daily lives.