Both private and public sector employers in some of Beijing's iconic areas will be encouraged to adopt flexible working times amid efforts to solve traffic congestion, an official said.

Zhou Zhengyu, director of Beijing's Traffic Committee, said the city is studying plans to promote variable work schedules in the central business district (CBD), Zhongguancun area, and Financial Street, so companies could arrange their working hours around daily traffic patterns.

"We are also negotiating with the management committee of Beijing's CBD District to have a later work start time, namely around 9am or 10am," Zhou said. "Flextime would not affect work efficiency thanks to the Internet."

Heavy traffic is a common problem in Beijing, causing plenty of traffic jams, and flextime might be a way to tackle this issue, it was added.

Some government departments in the city have already introduced flexibility in working hours, for example from between 7.30am and 9am.

Zhou said such an effort would potentially be less controversial than other policies aimed at combating congestion, including odd-and-even license plate rules during heating seasons and charging congestion fees.

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