Beijing will spend almost half of its transportation
infrastructure budget improving its bus system ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games in an ambitious bid to avoid
becoming a giant parking lot during the event.
As construction crews race against time to build more
underground arteries to ease traffic pressure, the capital city is
planning to boost its bus system by pouring in billions of
yuan.
Chen Nan, a section chief of the Beijing Finance Bureau, said
the municipal government would earmark 71.5 billion yuan (US$9.1
billion) to develop public transportation during the 11th Five-Year
Plan period (2006-10), representing 45 percent of the entire
transportation infrastructure budget.
The amount is 47.7 billion yuan (US$6.1 billion), or 18 percent
more than the amount provided in the 10th Five-Year Plan period
(2000-05), said Li Jianguo, deputy director of the Beijing
Municipal Committee of Communications.
"That shows the government's determination to give priority to
public transportation," Li said.
The move follows a statement from the Ministry of Construction
earlier this month, urging the government to promote the
development of public transportation and increase financial
support.
The statement called on local governments to consider public
transportation as a part of social welfare and not to ignore social
interests in the pursuit of economic gain.
It also called for more financial support and subsidies for bus
companies.
Li also released a plan aimed at optimizing bus routes and
reducing fares.
According to the plan, 110 overlapping lines within the third
ring road will be scrapped, and the 1,500 buses currently plying
those routes will be relocated to connect the more than 300
communities outside the city proper.
Every community that has a population of more than 7,000 people
should have access to at least one bus route, Li said.
Li said the goal was to better distribute the city's
transportation capability to benefit the "biggest majority."
Li said the large number of overlapping bus routes was the
result of chaotic competition between bus operators.
"History has proved that a market-oriented distribution of
transportation capabilities will not ease traffic," Li said. "So
the government plans to develop the public transportation as a
commonwealth."
In a related development, the city has issued two kinds of
transit cards for bus customers. The first is a monthly pass
allowing commuters 140 trips for 45 yuan (US$5.7). The second card
is a deposit card that offers a 20-per-cent discount.
A unified bus fare of 1 yuan (12 US cents) will be adopted at
the beginning of next year. Cardholders will receive a 60-per-cent
discount.
The city's 593 bus lines currently carry 3.78 million people a
day.
It is estimated that more than 95 percent of bus commuters will
benefit from the fare-reduction, Li said.
The one-off loss connected with the policy is estimated to be
1.3 billion yuan (US$166 million), Li said.
Starting in February, visitors in Beijing will be able to
purchase three short-term tickets that will be valid for three,
seven or 15 days.
The city is also planning to build a series of transportation
hubs so people will not have to walk long distances to change
buses.
Low-fee parking lots will be constructed around the Third Ring
Road to encourage people who drive cars to switch to buses to the
inner city.
"This is just the first step of our reform. We will make
adjustments as we implement the plan," Li said.
By 2010, the utilization rate of public transportation will be
raised to 40 percent in the capital, Li said.
(China Daily December 19, 2006)