Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Bid Committee (BOBICO) has put up the 100-day countdown board on its gate. In the meanwhile, Beijing is accelerating its process to revamp all the traffic facilities to make the city's transportation more convenient with light-train, subway and other major roads under busy construction.

According to some reports, Athens, the host for the 2004 Olympics was criticized by the IOC for its traffic problems in the city. Traffic plays a crucial role in whether a candidate city can be chosen to host the 2008 Olympics.

How can the traffic in the city be improved in a short period? Sources of the BOBICO blueprinted that Beijing will, in the several years to come, build an "Olympics ring road" to connect major traffic arteries with some stadiums to make sure that every stadium can be reached at least by two ways. On that basis, a city transportation network will come into being by various means of transportation, including roads, subways, underpasses, railways, trolley buses and elevated expressways. By then, Beijing will become a most convenient city in transportation.

Experts suggest that the city should build more parking lots to ease its shortage in order to help increase its traffic capacity.

As there are only 100 days left for IOC to name the host for the 2008 Olympics in Moscow, Beijing is exerting all its efforts to improve its traffic situation. Mr. Su Jing, person in charge of communications department of the BOBICO said, we are confident that Beijing has quite enough ability to host the 2008 Olympic Games.

(People's Daily 04/05)