An advertisement on Beijing's subway proclaiming "Squeezed in?! Go and buy a car then!" has angered passengers who said it only encourages traffic jams, a state newspaper said.

The advertisement, written in large white letters on a red background, is also contrary to the Beijing city government's aim of getting more people to take public transport, the official Beijing Daily said. "Isn't this out of tune with environmental protection?" it quoted a subway passenger surnamed Yang as saying. "The company sees subway passengers as potential customers, but the scornful tone of the advertising language exposes a lack of interest in human feelings behind a meticulous design", a female passenger surnamed Liu added.

Some Internet users have come up with their own versions of the advertisement's slogan, the newspaper said, proposing: "Stuck in a traffic jam? Then take the subway!".