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February 21, 2013

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City to improve public transport

THE Shanghai government will continue to improve public transportation to ease traffic congestion in the city.

The plan calls for opening more bus-only lanes and further expanding the Metro network while also adding more parking spaces, officials said yesterday.

"Shanghai's public transport network will see an upgrade with three new subway lines or extensions going into service this year," said Qin Yun, chief engineer of the Shanghai Transport and Construction Commission.

Qin added that rising Metro passenger volumes and operational safety have placed stress on the subway network, which handles an average of 6 million passengers per day.

Although more residents are turning to the subway each day to get around the city, vehicle traffic has seen little improvement due to the increase in private car ownership and bad driving habits.

The commission said it will encourage more people to take the bus to and from work by adding bus-only lanes and giving buses shorter waits at traffic lights.

The city already has more than 160 kilometers of bus-only lanes and this is expected to reach 300 kilometers within five years.

Traffic authorities earlier warned that "drivers will face more severe road congestion and commuters will see more crowded subway carriages this year" as they struggle to keep pace with the city's economic development.

The commission said it is also working on the parking problem.

Government advisers suggested underground and civil-defense structures be renovated to create more parking spaces. The downtown area has more than 780,000 public parking spaces, but planners say 1.14 million are needed.


 

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