The Chinese capital is one of the world's most polluted cities and there has been widespread debate about whether the traffic control measures should be retained.

On Saturday morning, the increased traffic in central Beijing still flowed freely, but congestion and frustration are likely to return with the resumption of the working week on Monday.

The ban on vehicles on alternate days according to whether their registrations ended in odd or even numbers - aimed at taking 45 per cent of cars off the roads - was not only successful in clearing the skies but also eased congestion.

'If there are no restrictions in the street, maybe the Beijing roads will become big parking lots some day,' an Internet surfer called Dao Madan wrote on www.tianya.cn.

Car owners in the main opposed controls, citing the lack of sufficient public transport.

'If you do not allow me to drive, make sure you can provide enough seats on buses and subways,' Xiao Pao wrote on the same forum. Don't force me into that sauna.'

Restrictions on government-owned cars, which make up some 10 per cent of Beijing's more than 3 million vehicles, will continue, the city said this week, in a move some experts see as a necessary pre-requisite to imposing wider controls.

Worse pollution than normal might be expected this autumn as factories and power plants in Beijing and six surrounding provinces strive to reach their annual production targets despite the two months when they were forced to reduce emissions.

Dust can also be expected to add to the pollution from the hundreds of building sites around the city that had to suspend operations from July 20.

And prostitutes have returned to the streets in areas of the city where bars and night clubs abound, while shops are now openly selling pirated DVDs again.

Security checks at the city's 11 municipal parks, including the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace, will also cease from Saturday, local media reported this week.

Beijing saw high levels of security for the Aug 8-24 Olympics and Sept 6-17 Paralympics to deter terrorist attacks which the government perceived to be the biggest threat to the successful hosting of the two sporting events.

The Olympic media regulations put in to place in January, which allowed foreign journalists more freedom to report around China, expire next month. -- REUTERS