BEIJING - Setting up and improving a long-term safety mechanism for China's rail transit system is a pressing task, a political adviser urged Saturday.

Zheng Huiqiang, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, made the remarks during a plenary meeting of the top political advisery body.

Zhang called for establishing and improving precaution, evaluation and emergency-response systems in China's urban rail lines to ensure safety.

A number of accidents in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou last year brought heavy casualties and economic losses.

"A precaution and evaluation system should be established to include various processes from planning to design, construction to operation," said Zheng, who is also vice president of Shanghai-based Tongji University.

An emergency safety system should include key aspects like emergency treatment, rating system, information, and training and drills, he said.

China is one of the world's fastest developers of rail transit, with 48 subway lines operating in 12 cities and municipalities by the end of 2010. The total length of rail transit lines in the country has reached 1,395 kilometers to date.