Shanghai's metro system will phase out commercial messages in favor of public service announcements, Shentong Metro Co. Ltd., the railway operator, said on Wednesday.

"May the metro tell me", a drive to solicit public opinion about metro messages, was launched to create a more favorable environment for the 2008 Olympics and 2010 World Expo.

Ye Tong, a manager of the company, said that the metro will offer an increasing amount of information about such public facilities as hospitals, schools, museums, and libraries. Commercials will eventually end entirely.

Ye said opinion collection would continue until May 28, with submission forms available online.

The metro system has 234 kilometers of track, with eight routes and 161 stations. It's the busiest metro in China, with 3.7 million daily riders. Plans call for an expansion to 500 km and 8 million daily riders by 2010.

(Xinhua News Agency April 9, 2008)