The Second Beijing Sino-Euro Urban Development Academic Seminar concluded today with confirmation that the capital is stepping up efforts to develop an intelligent transportation system (ITS) to be ready for the 2008 Olympic Games.

It is expected that modernization of traffic management in Beijing will be achieved by 2007, according to Quan Yongshen, director of the Beijing Transportation Research Center, a communications think-tank of Beijing's municipal government.

"I am confident we can provide advanced transportation services to athletes, coaches, officials and visitors during the Games in 2008 through ITS," Quan told China Daily Wednesday. The system will use information technology to monitor the entire road network and increase efficiency by at least 20 percent, according to Quan.

He said there is currently a lack of communication between traffic agencies: "For example, the Traffic Management Bureau has a good command of road conditions, but has no information about public transportation, railways and airlines."

Beijing is also building more subways ahead of the 2008 Games and it is expected that the total length of metro lines in Beijing will grow to 300 kilometers by 2008 from the current 110 kilometers.

Quan believes ITS is one of the most effective solutions for Beijing's rising transportation problems, such as serious traffic jams. Construction started in the capital in the 1990s and nine other cities have been selected for ITS pilot projects by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

There has been close cooperation with the European Union in the construction of ITS, with a great deal being learnt from Europe's experiences of traffic management.

(China Daily October 14, 2004)