China to build four subway lines to ease traffic jams

BEIJING: Aiming to expand the metro network to ease traffic jams in the capital Beijing, China plans to start the construction on four more subway lines this year.

The plan was announced by city mayor Wang Anshun at the annual meeting of the municipal legislature yesterday.

Wang also said sections of two existing metro lines will be opened for riders this year, state-run Xinhua news agency reported

The public-private-partnership (PPP) funding model might be used for the construction in a bid to reduce government debts, officials said.

Beijing opened four new subway lines on December 28, increasing the total subway length in the capital by 62 kilometres to 527 kilometres.

The city's subway system carries approximately 10 million passengers daily on workdays.

The total subway length is expected to increase to 1,000 kilometres by 2020.