Beijing speeds up building public transport centers

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 ◆ Beijing speeds up building public transport centers

Beijing, China's national capital, plans to construct eight public transport centers to improve its passenger handling capacity and ease traffic congestion in the city.

At present, three communication centers are being built at Xizhimen, Dongzhimen and near the Beijing Zoo. Five others are planned in major districts including Beijing's western railway, according to Beijing Youth Daily.

Upon completion, these projects will increase the city's bus traffic to 4.1 billion passengers annually by 2005, accounting for 38 percent of the city's total.

Passengers will have the choices of urban buses, long-distance buses, train or urban light railway at several such communication center including Xizhimen, Dongzhimen and the planned ones at Liuliqiao, Sihui and the western railway station.

At the Dongzhimen transport center, for example, passengers can take buses covering 18 different routes, or travel by light railway or subway trains.