Flexible work hours to ease traffic in Beijing  

北京“最堵月”即将到来 单位可弹性上下班

Photo shows the heavy traffic in Beijing on Sept.25, 2012. (Photo/Beijing News)

(ECNS) -- Beijing plans to adopt flexible work hours for enterprises and public institutions on nine days in September, as those days are predicted to suffer from heavy traffic congestion.

According to the plan, September is expected to have nine days with a congestion index of over 8.5, and four days of over 9.0.

Beijing experienced one day with a congestion index of over 9.0 in September 2010, when the city's traffic was nearly paralyzed.

The plan also suggests enterprises and public institutions adopt flextime during extreme weather conditions, and calls on office workers to take public transportation to work.

Along with the flexible work hour system, Beijing will also adopt new bus routes, increase community transit, run flexible subway trains, and build an integrated taxi order platform in September to ensure the city's traffic runs smoothly.