Beijing will further expand its public transport network in a
bid to relieve the city's clogged roads, a top city official said
yesterday.
Liu Qi, Party secretary for the capital, vowed
that the city will keep fares low and provide a more comfortable
and convenient passenger experience.
The city aims to have 50 percent of residents using public
transport - from the current 30 percent - Liu said during a group
discussion at the ongoing Party Congress. He did not offer a
timetable for the increase.
The 2008 Olympic Games host city has sought to
promote public transport, ensuring it remains affordable while new
metro lines open across the city. A new north-south route opened on
October 7 and three other new subway lines will be added next
year.
Metro fares in the city were cut by more than 30 percent this
month, while bus fares were slashed by more than 60 percent in
January. A one-way metro ticket now costs only 2 yuan (27 cents),
about the price of a can of coke, no matter how long the
journey.
The new line has had an immediate positive effect. The number of
subway passengers has increased by 46 percent since it opened,
Mayor Wang Qishan revealed during the discussion.
Public transport not only reduces road congestion but could also
improve air quality.
Beijing had 3.06 million registered vehicles by the end of July,
producing a significant part of the city's air pollution.
In August, Beijing held a four-day air quality exercise, during
which half of the vehicles were ordered off the roads. The exercise
saw the amount of pollutants fall by 5,815.2 tons.
The exercise was part of a Green Olympics campaign, which also
includes the relocation of Shougang Group, one of China's major
steel mills, a reduction in coal use and heavy investment in water
recycling systems.
"Beefing up efforts to fight air pollution is not only for the
sake of the Olympics, but also to make Beijing more suitable for
living," Liu said.
(China Daily October 16, 2007)
