China's vehicle-use reform will shift to local government level, but more effort is needed to ensure it achieves its full potential.

Reform at the central government level was successful last year and the next stage is expected to finish by the end of this year, according to the timetable set by central authorities in July 2014.

Officials below ministerial level will no longer be provided with a car and a driver, though public servants will receive a "proper" allowance to cover their transport expenses.

The use of government vehicles for private purposes, once a common practice, has been labeled "corruption on wheels."

The budget for the purchase and maintenance of government vehicles last year was 4.1 billion yuan (US$659 million), 126 million yuan less than in 2013, the Finance Ministry said.

The head of the ministry's Research Institute for Fiscal Science Jia Kang said related spending will fall by 7 percent.

In the long run, if factoring in the maintenance costs of vehicles and other administrative fees, expenditure on government vehicles will be cut by half, according to Jia.

It is important to note that if supporting policies and regulations are not well thought out, there will still be space for corruption.

So, questions need answering: How can the selling of state-owned assets at unreasonably low prices at auction be avoided?

How can local governments and state-owned firms be stopped from giving "official" subsidies by other means?

How can officials be prevented from "borrowing" cars from companies or individuals?

Transparency is the only solution, including making details of auctions, government expenditure on cars and subsidies and the incomes of public servants available to the public.

The public not only has the right to know how much the government spends or saves, but also how it does it.

On the other hand, policies should be carefully considered in order to not affect the day-to-day work of the government.

Some public servants have complained that allowances — which should be no more than 1,300 yuan per month at the central level and no more than 1,690 yuan at the local level — do not cover their transport costs.

Some observers are worried that in response, officials might cut back on meetings.

Allowances and subsidies should be assigned in accordance with local economic development levels and work requirements. Therefore, reform measures are not just about reducing the number of government vehicles.

A comprehensive system, including policy-making, implementation, supervision and performance evaluation, must be established to help the government become cleaner and more transparent.

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