Public transport adjusts in wake of heavy snow

Beijing Public Transport Corp, the State-owned bus operator in the national capital, carried out temporary measures on 173 lines on Friday to respond to the heavy snowfall that has whitened the city.

The company said on Friday evening that the operation of 161 lines－56 in urban areas and 105 in rural regions－had been suspended as of 6 pm as part of efforts to reduce safety hazards.

It also adjusted routes for 12 lines to circumvent roads and stops with thick snow cover.

There are about 1,200 bus lines in Beijing, according to the operator.

The Beijing Traffic Management Bureau on Friday afternoon arranged more patrols on major highways, roads and bridges, sent maintenance vehicles and people to key points, and asked more officers to be on duty.

Moreover, weather departments in multiple districts in Beijing published warnings about dense fog on Friday afternoon, suggesting drivers and commuters be careful.

China's meteorological authorities on Friday renewed a blue alert for heavy snow in several regions of the country.

From Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon, snowstorms are expected to hit parts of Beijing, the provinces of Hebei, Liaoning and Jilin, and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, with 3 to 6 centimeters of snowfall forecast, the National Meteorological Center said.

In some areas, snowstorms are expected to drop more than 10 cm of snow, it warned.

The center advised residents to stay indoors and urged local authorities to take precautions with roads, railways, electricity and telecommunications.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.