Big traffic accidents in China have decreased with strengthened administration, said a senior official with the Ministry of Public Security Thursday.

Wang Jinbiao, an official in charge of transportation said at a press conference that the public security administrations at all levels were mobilized to enhance supervision over major roads and streets, and strengthen punishment of transportation violations.

During the Spring Festival, the Chinese lunar New Year which fell on Jan. 29 this year, China's transportation administrations and public security administrations set up a transportation plan to meet the 40-day peak travel season, Wang said.

During the period, use of highways reached 1.8 billion person times, up three percent over the corresponding time last year. Public security administrations nationwide set up more than 2,700 service stations to examine passenger vehicles, and handled 5.5 million illegal activities against transportation rules.

As a result, the number of traffic accidents causing the death of five or more people decreased by 12.5 percent over the same period of the previous year. The number of dead and wounded also decreased by 4.1 percent and 50 percent, respectively.

From Dec., 2005 to Feb., 2006, the number of traffic accidents causing over 10 deaths decreased by 8.3 percent over the same period of last year, with the number of dead and wounded decreasing by 22.2 percent and 32.6 percent, respectively.

Wang stressed that better constructing and maintaining roads is key to transportation security. In recent years, public security administrations have hosted military-level meetings with local governments, supporting transportation administrations to improve infrastructure construction.

The public security administrations have also carried out a nationwide examination on sections of roads where traffic accidents often take place, he added.

Wang noted that China put 1.6 billion yuan (US$190 million) into reconstructing dangerous sections of roads, totaling 61,000 kilometers in length. Local provinces and regions have also made efforts and made large investments in reconstructing roads. In Southwest China's Sichuan Province, a total of 172 million yuan (US$20.7 million) was put into reconstruction of dangerous roads and bridges, as well as installing guardrails and signboards.

(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2006)