(BEIJING, Jan. 22) -- China's capital city will designate 38 public transit routes linking to the Olympic venues during the 2008 Olympic Games, and will provide 2,500 large-size buses, 4,500 minibuses and 8,000 drivers for the Games service, a city official revealed on Saturday.

Zhao Wenzhi, director of Beijing Municipal Committee of Communications, said that the city will also provide barrier-free buses and organize barrier-free taxi processions for the Paralympic Games.

Zhao also noted that this year will see a full reform of the public transport. In the first half of 2007, she said, Beijing will optimize its public transport network and will reduce 110 overlapped routes in the downtown area.