Beijing's public transportation authority has promised to upgrade buses running in the city by making all of buses have air-conditioning in the future.

Beijing's public transportation authority will deploy 2,500 new air-conditioned buses to serve the public in 2007.

Beijing Daily Messenger reports Zhao Wenzhi, Director of Beijing Municipal Committee of Communication, announced the news of the additional new buses during a radio interview on Saturday.

She also said 284 of the old buses on the streets will be upgraded with air-conditioning, so all of the buses in the city will have air-conditioning in the future.

The old-style trains running on lines one and two of the subway system will also be replaced with air conditioned trains to provide people with a more comfortable ride during Beijing's sweltering summer.

The city will also focus more heavily on developing the public transport services available in its 300 residential quarters. All quarters with more than 7,000 residents will be connected to public bus services.

"Too many buses currently serve the downtown area, which doesn't contribute to efficient mass transport. We plan to transfer 1,500 buses from the city center and let them serve in Beijing's residential quarters," Zhao said.

She also said Beijing will open 38 new "Olympic Bus Routes" to facilitate transport during the 2008 Games.

Zhao admitted that severe traffic congestion prevents more than 60 percent of the city's buses from arriving at their stops on time. She said Beijing plans to remedy the situation by building 250 kilometer long bus lanes.

(Source: CRI January 22, 2007)