China city to hire bus passengers in fight against terrorism

WUHAN - The central Chinese city of Wuhan will recruit 1,000 bus commuters to support its counter-terrorism drive, according to local police.

Wuhan, which is the capital of Hubei Province, will ask public-spirited citizens who are regular bus commuters to report suspicious behavior to help ensure safety on the city's buses, said an official with the Wuhan public security bureau.

Each citizen involved in the scheme will be paid 50 yuan ($8) a month in return for their efforts, the official said.

Police say they want to mobilize ordinary citizens in the fight against terrorism. The city also plans to install automatic warning devices on its more than 7,000 buses and surveillance cameras at 4,400 bus stops.

China has seen a spate of bus arson attacks in recent years. In July, a man in south China's Guangzhou Province set a bus alight after loosing money gambling, killing two and injuring 32. The same month, 32 people were injured in an arson attack on a bus in Hangzhou, in east China's Zhejiang Province.

In June last year, a bus in the eastern city of Xiamen burst into flames, leaving 47 people dead and 34 others injured. Police later said suspect Chen Shuizong, who also died in the fire, had purposely started the fire with gasoline.