BEIJING, Feb. 2 -- Local residents of Shanghai are being invited to vote on a unified color and logo for all school buses in the city. The winning color and logo must be used on all school buses in Shanghai, including those used by international schools later this year.

    The candidate designs - including 12 logos and 12 vehicle designs - are currently depicted on the Shanghai Education Commission's Website (www.shmec.gov.cn). Voting ends on February 7.

    The designs were all put together by university students in the city. Anyone not impressed by one of the designs can submit their own by e-mail, according to commission officials.

    While the commission hopes to rid the city of school buses by building more schools over the next two years, it currently wants the buses to have a set color so other drivers will notice them easily and take care. School buses in China are not subject to special traffic rules, unlike many other countries.

    "A unified color and logo are only transitional steps to curb the city's current disordered school bus management problem," said Yang Yongming, director of the commission's youth protection division.

    Schools that use rented buses will be asked to place signs containing the new logo on the vehicles, Yang noted.

    The commission said there should be enough schools in the city in two years that students won't need buses to get to travel between home and classes every day. International schools are expected to continue operating buses, however.