Shanghai will reduce bus lines in city downtown while increase them in its periphery areas in the years to come, Youth Daily reported today.

Bus lines in downtown areas are determined as redundant now and efforts will be needed to streamline them, officials from city's public-transit authorities said.

Projects of cutting bus lines have already been started in some busy areas like Xujiahui Commercial Area and the People's Square Area.

While in suburban areas, a fast urbanization has led to a need of more buses. Officials said planes to increase bus lines in southwest Shanghai's Songjiang District, northwest Shanghai's Jiading District and west Shanghai's Qingpu District are now under discussion.

The total number of buses will be increased from 18,000 now to 19,000 in the next few years in Shanghai, according to the City Traffic White Book promulgated recently.

( eastday.com July 15, 2002)