Expo forces exam venues to shift

SHANGHAI - Since Expo 2010 Shanghai overlaps with this year's national college entrance examination, or gaokao, the police have sent reinforcements to divert traffic and to provide extra security around campuses.

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A total of 66,000 students were due to take the city's three-day exam, which began on Monday. To accommodate them, 3,200 policemen and traffic coordinators were dispatched to keep traffic flowing around the 101 exam sites in Shanghai, according to local authorities.

For students who live near the Expo Garden, the cars or taxis they take to the exam are entitled to receive a green pass for the traffic controlled area, if they show their admission cards for the exam. The police were also prepared to provide rides to students in emergency situations.

"The Expo visitor flow hasn't seriously affected the exam," a police officer, surnamed Gu, from Pudong district was quoted as saying by the Shanghai Evening Post.

The educational authority has also made adjustments to 10 exam venues in the city to bypass the Expo site. Five high schools in Pudong New Area, including Shanghai Pudong High School, are no longer holding the exam this year, because they are too close to the Expo Garden.

Nanyang High School is also not providing examination rooms this year, because a large Expo parking lot is located nearby.

Meanwhile, Bi Le High School has become an exam site this year to substitute for Luwan Senior High School, which is close to the Expo area.

A "No honking" sign was posted at the intersection between Ji'an Road and Chongde Road, the two major roads around the school, and most of the passing vehicles were advised to make a detour around the school.