Beijing will set aside special road lanes and some trunk lines
totaling 200 km for the 2008 Olympics which will take place a year
from now, an official with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the
Olympic Games (BOCOG) said.
Yu Chunquan, deputy chief of the BOCOG traffic administration
bureau, said these lanes will cover parts of the second, fourth and
fifth ring roads of Beijing and some trunk lines, Tuesday's
Beijing Morning Post reported.
He explained that the Olympic special lanes are similar to the
existing designated bus lanes, and will be at the inner section of
the roads. These lanes may cover some parts of a road, leaving
other road lanes for normal traffic.
Yu admit that such plan will affect traffic during the Olympics,
and his bureau is considering to add public transports as buses and
subways to ease the traffic tension.
"Because lots of public transport will be put into use, there
won't be too much traffic burden for Beijing residents," said
Yu.
However, traffics nearby the stadiums will be restricted, said
Yu. Local residents will be encouraged to take buses instead of
driving, although specific measures have yet to come out.
(Xinhua News Agency August 7, 2007)