Beijing commuters are used to waiting, because roads and intersections are always clogged - even during off-peak hours.
The number of vehicles has been increasing by 300,000 every year and it is estimated the number of cars will reach 3.2 million by 2008, according to Liu Xiaoming, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Communications.
Up to 10,000 athletes, 20,000 journalists, 100,000 volunteers and millions of visitors are expected in 2008, which will compound the gridlock.
The city is racing against time to complete seven rail lines, which will make public transport more convenient and more attractive.
Beijing's 114km of subway lines could handle two million passengers a day and the municipal government hoped another 115km would be added to the network before 2008, expanding the capacity to 3.5 to four million passengers a day, Liu said.
Rail line Number Five, Number 10, the Olympics Line, and the Airport Rail are now under construction and should be completed before the games.
