Auto execs bemoan traffic jam at Beijing car show

By Chang-Ran Kim, Asia auto correspondent

TOKYO (Reuters Life!) - You can't have your cake and eat it too.

That's probably what went through the minds of executives stuck in a traffic jam on their way to the Beijing Auto Show on Sunday, in what could be a foretaste of infrastructure meltdown during the Olympics.

With thousands of industry officials, event planners and journalists heading to an exhibition site on the outskirts of Beijing for the auto show's media days, the bottleneck meant some spent two hours for a ride that would normally take just half an hour.

Many -- including chief executives at some of the world's biggest automakers -- gave in for the last stretch, braving the heavy rain to walk the last mile to the venue, which will also be used for the Summer Olympics in August.

"I had no choice, since I couldn't keep people waiting for my interviews," said Mitsubishi Motors President Osamu Masuko.

Renault and Nissan's boss, Carlos Ghosn, also covered some ground on foot, joining scores of reporters whose exchange of small-talk soon centered on the morning's adventures, comparing notes on how badly they were caught out.

That was just one of the logistical glitches.

Online registration problems caused mayhem at the booth for press passes. Many failed to find the press centre or get an Internet connection to file stories and photos.