Unsnarling heavy traffic requires prolonged effort

Beijing authorities are making comprehensive efforts to reduce the city's heavy traffic congestion, for example by promoting public transportation, but the improvements come step by step and will require prolonged determination, a senior traffic official said.

"It will take a long time to ease traffic congestion in Beijing," said Zhou Zhengyu, director of the municipal traffic committee.

"We need to make great efforts to tackle these problems and to present traffic system improvements for residents each year," he said.