While the numbers sound extremely slow, they actually represent a "noticeable increase" from 30 kilometers an hour on elevated highways last year and 15 km/h downtown.

To meet its goal of speeding up local traffic, the team will focus on stopping illegal parking and clearing up small road accidents quickly this year.

Roadside parking will be strictly restrained in nine downtown districts, including Huangpu, Luwan and Jing'an districts, according to the traffic team.

Officers said they will establish a guiding system citywide, making it easy for drivers to find parking lots. Meanwhile, any car illegally parked along roads and causing traffic jam will be towed away.

The system is expected to copy a successful trial in Huangpu District, which uses electronic screens set up above streets to show how many vacancies are left in nearby parking lots.

Officers pledged to enforce the "fast accident handling mode," in which drivers are required to drive away the accident site within five minutes if it's just a "small" bump involving one or two vehicles.

Local traffic authorities also stress the need for more traffic signal systems in the near future.

This year, more than 400 new traffic signs and lights will be set up on local roads.

In the past three years Shanghai had added 24,000 traffic signs and 530 traffic lights, according to Yang Ye from the Shanghai Public Security Bureau.

Between 1990 and 2001, the road length in the city increased by 108 percent and the road area increased by 142 percent, however, the number of vehicles skyrocketed by 470 percent. Officials point to the number of new cars on local streets as a major reason for the present traffic jam problem.

Increased construction projects also aggravates the traffic jam situation, officials said. The city now is a site of some 7,000 on-going projects, including 100 stations of six metro lines, construction of which were started at the same time.

Mayor han Zheng, at an earlier government conference, pointed out that smooth traffic is an "eternal theme" for the municipal government until the goal is attained.

(eastday.com March 4, 2003)