GUANGZHOU, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- South China's metropolis Guangzhou now has over 10,000 electric buses, one of the biggest fleet of new-energy buses among Chinese cities, Mayor Wen Guohui said here at an international forum.

"Electric buses are energy-efficient and more comfortable. It is an effective option to reduce pollution from the urban transport system," Wen said at the Global Mayors Forum that concluded Saturday.

There are now more than 4,000 charging stations in the capital city of Guangdong Province to support the electric bus fleet, he said.

Guangzhou started to use pure electric buses last year. The 10,486 electric buses in service save nearly 20,000 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions annually compared with gasoline vehicles, according to Guangzhou's environmental protection authorities.

The city has adopted multiple policies to encourage the use of new-energy vehicles (NEVs), including green financing, rewards for reduced emissions, subsidies for purchasers, and commercial development of bus stations, Wen said.

In addition to buses, NEVs will also be used for taxis, official vehicles, sanitation and post services, and logistics vehicles. The city aims to have about 200,000 NEVs by the end of 2020 with nearly 100,000 charging stations.