Shenzhen will extend the length of its Metro lines from 22 kilometers to 120 kilometers within five years to ease the traffic pressure, a spokesman for the municipal communications bureau said yesterday.

The extension of Metro Line 1 will be completed by 2009, linking Shi Jie Zhi Chuang (Window of the World) with the Shenzhen airport, the spokesman said during a public consultation on the city's transportation plan.

The extension of Metro Line 4, running between the Children's Palace and central Longhua, will be completed in 2009.

Line 3, which runs between Laojie and central Longgang, will be completed by 2009.

Line 2, which runs between Shekou Port and Window of the World, will be completed in 2010.

Meanwhile, five BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) routes, with a total length of 130 kilometers, will be completed by 2010, according to the bureau.

Construction of the first route, from Laojie to Xili, is expected to start very soon. It will have three terminals: Xili, Honey Lake and Laojie, and 28 stops.

The other four routes will run from Shangbu Road South to Longhua via Meilin Checkpoint, Chegongmiao to Pinghu via Buji, Shenzhen Railway Station to Dameisha via Dongmen, and Shekou to Aviation Town via the business area in Nanshan. Bicycle parking areas will be provided near each BRT stop to facilitate cyclists.

The city government has been encouraging residents to use public transport as an increasing number of private cars place a heavy burden on the city's environment and traffic. In its latest effort, the communications bureau launched the first-ever Public Transport Week on Monday.

Editor: Yan