Guangzhou is not considering charging a "traffic congestion fee", local authorities said on Monday.

A proposal to improve traffic conditions through charging such fee in Guangzhou, the capital of south China's booming Guangdong Province, is still undergoing technical evaluation and not ripe enough for being submitted for approval, let alone in the stage of "waiting for approval", said Ma Wentian, head of a bureau in charge of public facilities and gardens in the city.

When local media said late last month that Guangzhou, whose downtown area covers 960 square kilometers, was considering the congestion charge, the topic triggered a heated discussion.

(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2009)