Zhou Zhengyu, Deputy Director of Beijing Municipal Traffic Committee, told China.org.cn yesterday that temporary traffic controls will be intensified during the Beijing Olympics. A further lane will be closed if the present Olympic roads can not satisfy the traffic needs on the opening day.

Zhou said that more than 80 Heads of State will attend the Olympic Opening Ceremony; as a result, more temporary traffic control measures will be implemented. The Traffic Authority will try to make these measures less obstructive by restricting the time of road closures with to-the-minute precision. Traffic flow will be smooth as long as residents follow police instructions.

Concerning Beijing's torch relay, Zhou stated that the route covers 18 districts and counties. Hundreds of roads involved meet the required standard, and no problems have been identified to date.

The Olympic roads have become a familiar feature to residents in the past few days. They are used to serve the needs of around 16,000 athletes and 20,000 technical staff and journalists. There will be constant travel between residences of the athletes and venues. More than 2,000 buses will be put in service on 180 Olympic bus routes. Special measures will definitely be implemented to guarantee efficient travel for athletes, said Zhou.

(China.org.cn by Fan Junmei July 25, 2008)