Photo taken on Dec. 9, 2020 shows a sign board indicating one courtesy passage (L) and one for the passengers with health-tracking apps in front of a temperature checkpoint set up to help control the spread of COVID-19 at Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, capital of China. [Photo via Xinhua]

BEIJING, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Metro trains and buses have been added to control overcrowding as Beijing tightened COVID-19 prevention measures for public transport, the Beijing transport commission said Wednesday.

A total of 22 trains on nine metro lines have been added and train intervals have been shortened to reduce the load, the commission said.

Security screening equipment, ticket vending machines and other facilities frequently touched by passengers are required to be disinfected every one hour and stairs and door handrails shall be disinfected every four hours. Trains will be disinfected at least once every day.

Disinfection should also be carried out on the 21,000 public buses and trams in Beijing passing through medium-risk areas and the neighboring Hebei Province. Meanwhile, those on other routes should be disinfected more than twice every day.

Taxi drivers must wear a mask and enhance ventilation for the whole journey and remind the passengers to sit on the back seats and wear a mask. Passengers without masks will be refused a ride.