In Beijing, ticket seller will be replaced by the long-awaited IC cards by the end of this July. By then, traveling on Beijing's buses will be more convenient.

It is reported that the cards are to be used on 964 buses on 41 routes.

Since monthly tickets are not valid on these buses now, passengers must find change to pay 1 yuan (US$0.12) or more for each ride. With the IC cards, passengers will not have to fiddle with small change on the buses.

Another 895 buses on 40 routes where monthly tickets are valid will use IC cards by the end of this year.

Plans are for IC cards to gradually replace the traditional way of selling tickets and checking monthly tickets by ticket officers.