The most congested week in the most congested month that Beijing is experiencing is straining the capital's already overburdened roads and underscores the urgent need for sensible measures to ease the traffic pressure.

Due to the inclusion of the opening day of a new school semester, the Mid-Autumn Festival as well as the countdown to the weeklong National Day holiday, Beijing usually witnesses its worst traffic congestion in September.

And given that the annual Mid-Autumn Festival will fall on Thursday, the capital also started its most congested week of the month on Monday, as there is usually the heaviest traffic in the days leading up to major festivals.