The number of bus passengers using IC cards in Beijing has surged 7.4 per cent after the city implemented discount bus fares to attract more passengers to take public transportation, the Beijing News reports.

Beijing has issued 7.8 million IC cards to citizens. The number of daily passengers using IC cards for bus travel has reached 8.8 million.

Figures issued by the Beijing Bus Group on January 15 show that the total average number of passengers each day has increased by 750,000, reaching 11 million.

Beijing significantly lowered its bus fares on January 1 to draw more people to public transportation and ease the city's traffic pressures.