Guangzhou_transportNovember 7 - Chinese officials in Guangzhou, the host 2010 Asian Games, have been forced to call off its offer of free public transport facility, a week after it was launched, following an unprecedented response from over eight million people who swamped the system.


They feared the popularity of the scheme might pose a security threat to the Asian Games.

The Games are due to officially open on Friday (November 12) but the preliminary matches in the football tournament got underway today.

The Games are set to feature 11,700 athletes, competing in 42 sports.

The Chinese Government, earlier this month, launched the colour-coding scheme for vehicles, effectively grounding half of the city's 2.1 million private cars and those entering the city each day during the Asian Games.

As a remedy, free public transport service was to be offered for 30 working days beginning November 1.

The offer was met with unprecedented enthusiasm from Guangzhou residents.

For days, subway trains were often crammed and stations were full as swarms of people lined up to take the free ride.

Further, traffic controls were put into force 144 times during the week, which "seriously affects the normal security checks required for the Games" and causes "great inconvenience," officials said.

Guangzhou authorities plan to roll back the free-day scheme tomorrow and replace it with a cash subsidy programme in which each household in Guangzhou will receive 150 yuan as a transportation subsidy from the Government.


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