Bus lanes to ease third-ring road congestion

Beijing (CNS) -- A number of lanes dedicated to city buses will soon be available at key junctures in Beijing this year, to relax the traffic jam during rush hours and induce office workers to choose public transportation over private cars.

Liu Xiaoming, director of city's transportation committee, commented on the new service during a radio show interview on May 2.

The third-ring road has long been known for congestion, but the situation is very severe at certain points in the transportation system, such as Liuliqiao, Lianhuaqiao and Guomaoqiao. It has taken local authorities considerable time to figure out how to accommodate bus lane routes on this well-used throughway said Liu.

Specialized bus lanes were put into use last May on the Jingtong Highway that connects the downtown area and Tongzhou District, and improvements to the speeds of city vehicles using them have grown from 25 to 45 km/h.