BEIJING, China — State media say authorities have cancelled a plan to provide free public transportation in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou less than one week after it came into effect ahead of the Asian Games, saying the massive response had overwhelmed the system.
Guangzhou's government had ordered half of the city's 2.1 million private cars off the streets to improve traffic conditions and air quality for the Nov. 12-27 Asian Games. To discourage private car use, residents were able to take public transportation for free from Nov. 1.
The official Xinhua News Agency says residents of Guangzhou, a city of 10 million, responded enthusiastically to the offer, leading to crammed subway trains and long lines at stations as commuters poured in for the free rides.
Guangzhou's transportation authorities say they have had to rescind the offer after more than eight million passengers rode the subway every day on average since the start of the month, far exceeding the numbers the subway system was designed to carry, Xinhua said.
Instead, authorities will provide 150 yuan (C$22.50) in cash subsidies to each household to be used for transport, the report said.
The Asian Games will feature some 11,700 athletes competing in 42 sports. For host China, it's yet another opportunity to showcase the country's rising global influence, following on the successes of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai World Expo that wrapped up last month.
Beijing's experience running those well-funded, well-organized mega events stands in stark contrast to the recent Commonwealth Games in neighbouring India which was so plagued with problems there were fears it would not go ahead.
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