An official with the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG) had said the committee would increase taxi services at major Olympic areas in cooperation with the city transportation authority, local media reported on Thursday.

Yu Chunquan, Director of the Transportation Department of the BOCOG, made his remarks in response to an Australian journalist who expressed his worry about the insufficiency of taxi services at media villages.

According to Yu, the BOCOG had issued special permits to a limited number of taxis to maintain sufficient services at every Olympic venue.

"In view of media people's need for more taxi services, we are about to issue permits to more taxis so as to increase services," Yu said. "We have decided to increase services there, and it is in the process of implementation."

"Taking taxis is not the only one way of traveling." Yu said. "media people have other choices such as taking shuttle buses and other public transport."

The host city boasts at least 66,000 taxis, the city authorities said. On July 20, Beijing began a two-month-long control of vehicle use to ease traffic pressure and curb air pollution, but taxis were free of the restriction.

(Xinhua News Agency August 1, 2008)