Wuhan, a city perched in the middle reaches of the Yangtze, China's longest waterway, is building a waterborne passenger transport system to ease road traffic congestion.

The plan was approved by an evaluation committee Friday, said Zhang Xianfeng, a Wuhan-based urban development specialist who is heavily involved in the planning.

"Water traffic will shorten travel times," said Zhang. "Buses in Wuhan travel at an average speed of 15 kilometers per hour, while boats can travel at 25 to 30 kilometers per hour."

Road traffic is slow in Wuhan, capital of the central Hubei Province, as the hilly city is divided into three parts by the Yangtze and its longest tributary, the Hanshui River.

The city also has 166 lakes covering an area of 942.8 square kilometers.

The waterborne system will have 10 commuter routes with a combined length of 149 kilometers to link the city center with four outer districts, he said.

He said the system was expected to transport 60,000 to 100,000 commuters daily.

"It will have 19 docks, including 11 in the city center and eight in the outer areas," said Zhang.

The system will also have taxi services and luxury boats for sightseers, he said.

Pan Yuan, head of the evaluation panel, said waterborne transport would effectively supplement the inadequate road traffic system in Wuhan.

"We advise the city authorities to use energy-efficient boats," said Pan, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Three other Chinese cities -- Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou --also plan to turn to the water to solve the transport bottlenecks on their roads.

(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2009)