The General Office of the State Council has urged local governments at different levels to set on top agenda the development of public traffic in their urban transportation systems.

"All regions and authorities should further lift their awareness and make clear related guidelines and targets," said the State Council, which dispatched recently a series of proposals by several central departments.

According to the proposals, the authorities should give full play to industry planning and control practices, improve public traffic facilities, optimize the structure of public traffic and offer more supporting policies.

Given China's lack of land resources, high population intensity in urban areas and the relatively low income level of the Chinese, China should develop low-pay public traffic as a priority.

The proposals suggested local governments improve the density of their traffic lines and stops and form a network that matches their actual conditions.

"The governments should work to guide the masses to choose public traffic as their main outing tool," the proposals said.

According to the proposals, the localities could develop subways or other rail-based traffic patterns in an orderly way and introduce more express buses to enhance their capability in handling large crowds.

License systems and subsidy practices should also be introduced to help develop public traffic, said the proposals.

(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2005)