Beijing will set aside special road lanes and some trunk lines totaling 200 km for the 2008 Olympics which will take place a year from now, an official with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) said.

Yu Chunquan, deputy chief of the BOCOG traffic administration bureau, said these lanes will cover parts of the second, fourth and fifth ring roads of Beijing and some trunk lines, Tuesday's Beijing Morning Post reported.

He explained that the Olympic special lanes are similar to the existing designated bus lanes, and will be at the inner section of the roads. These lanes may cover some parts of a road, leaving other road lanes for normal traffic.

Yu admit that such plan will affect traffic during the Olympics, and his bureau is considering to add public transports as buses and subways to ease the traffic tension.

"Because lots of public transport will be put into use, there won't be too much traffic burden for Beijing residents," said Yu.

However, traffics nearby the stadiums will be restricted, said Yu. Local residents will be encouraged to take buses instead of driving, although specific measures have yet to come out.

(Xinhua News Agency August 7, 2007)