The General Office of the State Council has urged local
governments at different levels to set on top agenda the
development of public traffic in their urban transportation
systems.
"All regions and authorities should further lift their awareness
and make clear related guidelines and targets," said the State
Council, which dispatched recently a series of proposals by several
central departments.
According to the proposals, the authorities should give full
play to industry planning and control practices, improve public
traffic facilities, optimize the structure of public traffic and
offer more supporting policies.
Given China's lack of land resources, high population intensity
in urban areas and the relatively low income level of the Chinese,
China should develop low-pay public traffic as a priority.
The proposals suggested local governments improve the density of
their traffic lines and stops and form a network that matches their
actual conditions.
"The governments should work to guide the masses to choose
public traffic as their main outing tool," the proposals said.
According to the proposals, the localities could develop subways
or other rail-based traffic patterns in an orderly way and
introduce more express buses to enhance their capability in
handling large crowds.
License systems and subsidy practices should also be introduced
to help develop public traffic, said the proposals.
(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2005)