Beijing's employers are being urged to bring back staggered start times for their workers to try and ease rush hour traffic congestion.

Staggered starting times of the workday are one measure that will be included in the Beijing Municipal Transport Commission's new set of policies that will be made public in December, according to sources with the commission. The commission also says work units in the city should provide shuttle busses for their employees.

Beijing has 2.9 million registered motor vehicles, including about 67,000 taxis and 2.2 million private cars.

Experts with the commission said that building more roads is not the answer to alleviating traffic tie ups.

The city needs to encourage people to drive less or even give up driving to work, said professor Duan Liren, former vice director of the municipal transport bureau.

He says staggered hours and more shuttle buses are likely to help relieve traffic congestion.

Duan says Beijing first adopted staggered workday start times in 1984 but it was discontinued.

(Xinhua News Agency April 6, 2007)