BEIJING, Sept 16, 2008 (AFP) - Beijing is to lift driving curbs credited with clearing the city's smog and traffic during the Olympics as planned this weekend, a city official said Tuesday, despite broad public support.

However, Zhou Zhengyu, the deputy director of the capital's communications committee, hinted that calls in support of the restrictions would be studied and possible future action could be taken.

The curbs have limited motorists to driving every other day and were due to expire on Saturday.

The limits -- along with a move to shut down construction work and close over 100 polluting factories in the region -- have been credited with bringing Beijing the cleanest air of any summer in the past decade, officials say.

'This measure will end after September 20. After that, we have heard many calls and praise on this and other matters, and are in the process of analysing this,' said Zhou.

'Please stay tuned, announcements will be made at an appropriate time.'

The measures were imposed on July 20, nearly three weeks before the August 8 start of the Beijing Olympics, and removed more than more than one million of the city's 3.3 million vehicles from the roads.

State-controlled media had publicised several surveys showing a majority of people supported making the driving curbs permanent despite the inconvenience to many in the congested capital.

Earlier official statements also had indicated the government would not rule out continuing the measures.

'A lot remains to be done to further improve the traffic in Beijing. It's not going to be completed overnight or achieved by one single measure,' Zhou said.

The Beijing Youth Daily had reported over the weekend the city had decided to let the measures expire but that motorists would be 'encouraged' to avoid using their cars one day every week.

A recent survey of 844 Beijing residents carried out by Capital View Research Co. showed 55.6 percent in favour of making the curbs permanent, the Beijing Youth Daily said.