Authorities in Beijing are ready for the challenge of safely moving 160,000 people into and out of the Bird's Nest on Friday, for the opening ceremony of the Olympics, a senior official said Aug.4, 20008.

A man works on works on a prop that will be used in the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, August 4, 2008. [Agencies]

There will be about 70,000 guests, VIPs, athletes and performers, and 90,000 spectators, volunteers and staff, Zhou Zhengyu, deputy director of the Beijing municipal committee of communications, said at a press conference at the Beijing International Media Center.

Authorities have already tested their procedures for moving the huge crowd smoothly, he said.

Guests, athletes and performers will arrive on chartered buses, while spectators are encouraged to take public transport, he said.

Staff and volunteers will begin working at the Bird's Nest on Friday morning, while the Games' core area around the Olympic Green will open to the public from 4 pm on that day, Zhou said.

"The rush hours will be from 4 pm to 8 pm and after the ceremony," he said.

The two rehearsals on Wednesday and Saturday showed the crowd-control plan was effective, he said.

"But we can adapt it to suit the reality of any situation," Zhou said.

Twenty-eight direct bus routes are planned to link the core area to various parts of the city, while 48 regular routes and three metro lines can also be used, he said.

However, during a third rehearsal to held this evening, 40 stops will be added to the 28 direct bus routes for test purposes, and we will also extend the operating times of metro lines, in response to calls from the public, Zhou said.

From Friday evening, all metro lines, except the airport line, will start operating around the clock, he said.

In response to a question about the congestion caused by the firework display that followed Saturday's rehearsal, Zhou said the government is working on a solution.

"Many Beijing residents may want to watch the fireworks outside the Bird's Nest on Friday evening, so we are still working on how best to manage that," he said.

When asked about the new odd-even license plate restriction on private cars, Zhou said the situation had been greatly improved, but there was still congestion at peak times in downtown areas due to their higher population densities.

"Controls will be tighter on Friday, so I suggest people avoid using their own cars and avoid main routes," he said.

Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the city's environmental protection bureau, said the traffic control measures have helped improve air quality, with the top-level being recorded on Friday through Sunday.

"That is unprecedented in recent years," Du said.

The pollution rating fell to the second level yesterday, but was still in line with the "blue sky", or relatively good, standard, he said.

China Daily-Xinhua