Beijing is upgrading its bus fleet to make commuting more comfortable and environmentally friendly
　　
　　
　　As part of the Beijing Municipal Government’s efforts to promote public transportation, the city is upgrading its fleet of buses to provide the latest in comfort and to meet more stringent pollution emission standards. People may remember a line from the American sitcom Friends describing Beijing buses in 1996 as “easily 200 years old…200 at least.” If the cast of the television show paid a visit to China now, however, they would be surprised by the efforts the city has made in the past 10 years.
　　Buses remain one of the major daily transportation modes in Chinese cities, thanks to their low ticket price. People’s Daily reported that total bus rides in Beijing exceeded 4.3 billion in 2004, accounting for 26.3 percent of all travels in the city. It is estimated the figure would rise to 30 percent in 2005, despite the rapid increase in the number of private cars.
　　On March 18, a bus exhibition in Beijing attracted 23 manufacturers who showcased more than 90 newly designed models. The exhibit was co-hosted by Beijing Public Transportation Holdings Ltd. (Beijing Bus Group), a state-owned bus vendor, the Ministry of Construction and the China Urban Public Transport Association. Apart from bus manufacturers, over 30 spare parts producers also participated.
　　Public transportation companies from 10 Chinese cities, such as Shanghai and Tianjin, attended the exhibition with plans to purchase a total of 7,985 new buses in 2006, including 3,485 by Beijing alone.
　　
　　
　　NEW BUSES: Beijing is committed to providing a convenient and pleasant bus trip for its residents
　　
　　According to Feng Xingfu, Vice General Manager of Beijing Bus Group, after the new buses are put into service, 2,000 old models, which do not meet the Euro III auto emission standard, will be eliminated. The Euro III standard, introduced in the EU in 1999, designates five phases of emission reduction. Beijing is committed to imposing it on all vehicles in the city this year.
　　“All of the newly purchased buses are user friendly, designed for the convenience of our passengers,” Feng told Beijing Review. For instance, there are special seats for babies. By pressing a single button, a platform can be lowered to the ground to assist wheelchair users. Moreover, many of Beijing’s buses are equipped with mobile television service. “Our passengers will be able to catch the latest Olympic news and games live on the bus in 2008,” said Liu Runfang, Public Relations Manager of Beijing Bus Group.
　　The State Environmental Protection Administration of China issued a document in April 2005 with respect to several phases of emission reduction and measurement methods for exhaust pollutants from compression ignition and gas-fueled engines that are supposed to be implemented in 2006 in Beijing and in 2007 throughout the country.
　　Buses must meet this standard as well. This year, apart from purchasing 2,385 diesel-powered buses that meet the Euro III standard, the Beijing Bus Group also introduced 1,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses and 100 electric-powered trolleys that can also operate on batteries.
　　Feng noted that before the 2008 Olympics, buses failing to meet the Euro III standard will no longer be allowed to operate, and all of them will be replaced by the time Beijing hosts the Games.
　　
　　
　　Safety seats for children
　　
　　All vehicles meet the Euro III standard
　　
　　New-style bus in operation
　　
　　Low floor for wheelchair accessibility
　　
　　Putting public transportation first
　　
　　A report by the U.S.-based World Resources Institute shows that the number of private cars in China is increasing 15-20 percent each year, creating worsening pollution problems. Eric Orts, professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, suggests the Chinese Government should take into consideration developing an efficient public transportation system that can replace the increasing use of private cars.
　　Although the exhaust emitted by one bus exceeds that from a car, Qiao Linong, engineer with the Beijing Bus Group, noted that one taxi can take a maximum four passengers at a time, while a 13.7 meter-long bus is able to accommodate about 100 passengers. Thus, the average pollution emission per person is much less for a bus than a car.
　　Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in 2004 that giving priority to the development of city public transit systems is a right strategic plan. In January 2005, the Beijing Municipal Government promulgated a general plan for the metropolitan area to 2020, which was reviewed and approved by the State Council, China’s cabinet. The plan states that public transportation should be the leading mode of transport.
　　In 2005, the Beijing Bus Group purchased about 4,000 new buses for over 3 billion yuan, largely through government subsidy. This year, despite a slight decrease in the number of the buses being purchased, the total value of the buses has actually increased, said Feng. He noted that the quality of this year’s buses has been upgraded, with some sold at a price of over 1 million yuan. Thus, a total of 3 billion yuan is needed for this round of purchases.
　　
　　Social welfare
　　
　　An estimate from the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform shows that the average price of a monthly bus ticket is 33.18 yuan, while the actual use by passengers amounts to 82.18 yuan on average. Thus, there is a deficit of about 48 yuan on each monthly ticket. In 2004, the Beijing Bus Group sold over 16.55 million monthly tickets, which led to a total loss of nearly 800 million yuan.
　　Surging oil prices and the large-scale vehicle replacement plan have placed a financial burden on the Beijing Bus Group, which is being met by the Beijing Municipal Government. When asked whether it was possible to introduce non-state capital, however, officials were not optimistic.
　　In October 1997, Beijing’s first foreign-invested bus route, called the Kang’en Route, was put into service. There were no problems until the Hong Kong company operating the route transferred its share to another Hong Kong company, which took the money out and never invested in bus maintenance. On July 24, 2004, when the last Kang’en bus broke down on the road, the cooperation effort was doomed.
　　Liu said public transportation vehicles, especially buses, need prompt maintenance and continuous investment. Vehicles won’t last long if the owner only focuses on making a profit. He added that public transportation is actually part of the social welfare system, while the loss incurred on the monthly bus ticket is a kind of transportation subsidy provided to citizens by the government.
　　
　　Passengers speak out
　　
　　It may be difficult for many people in other parts of the world to completely understand transportation problems in China’s metropolises. Beijing, a city with a population of over 15 million, equivalent to more than half the total population of Canada, is particularly plagued by traffic jams, and its residents find it hard to deal with overcrowded buses during rush hours. Wrangling and yelling seem to be prevalent on nearly every bus.
　　
　　
　　The Beijing News reported that the average speed of a bus in Beijing is 10.2 km per hour, slower than the average bicycle speed of 12 km per hour, and much slower than the average 20 km per hour for cars. Over 72.5 percent of people surveyed say the slow pace of buses, especially in rush hours, is the biggest headache.
　　While many Beijing residents are happy that more buses will be provided, and that the new buses will produce far less toxic emissions, many say it is unnecessary to provide luxury vehicles. “The appearance is important but not a key concern. Our government should focus on the performance,” a passenger said. They also fear a rise in ticket prices.
　　To ease the crush of passengers, one bus rider, Ms. He, said she believes it would be helpful to increase the number of buses as well as their frequency, complaining that she sometimes has to wait half an hour for a bus.
　　Another passenger, Ms. Li, said she thinks bus stops are too close to one another, and their distance should be increased. Moreover, she suggested that a stronger regulation needs to be enacted to ensure that bus lanes are not abused by other vehicles, which to some extent causes the low on-time performance of buses.
　　The Beijing Municipal Government is examining ways to resolve passengers’ complaints. In June 2004, a public transportation hub in west Beijing went into operation. The modern control center in that hub has 12 screens for monitoring bus operations. Every bus passing by this area is closely watched by the controller, who provides road information by radio. The city government plans to establish over 20 such transportation hubs in the next few years.
　　
　　Beijing’s Public Bus System
　　
　　The public transit system in Beijing was first created in the early 1920s.
　　In 1921, the warlord government in Beijing established a trolley company, and on December 18, 1924, the city’s first trolley route began operating. The route was 9-km long, with 10 trolleys. By 1935, there were 96 trolleys on that line.
　　Following the end of World War II, in 1945, the local government took over 100 buses from Japanese occupation authorities. In November 1947, the Beiping (then name of Beijing) Municipal Bus Co. Ltd. was founded, with 133 buses. Mismanagement resulted in heavy losses, however, and caused the business to shut down in August 1948, leaving a fleet of 79 battered vehicles, of which only five could operate.
　　The founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 ushered in a new chapter in the development of Beijing’s public transit system.
　　By the end of 1956, the number of bus and trolley routes had increased to 27, nearly six times more than the number in 1949, while the total route length had expanded nearly 10-fold to 357 km. The total annual passenger traffic was 235.4 million rides, or 205 times that of 1949.
　　The number of buses and the length of route network continued to expand year by year. To meet the development demand, the Beijing Public Transportation Bureau was transformed into the Beijing Public Transportation Corp. in 1980, followed by the establishment of several joint-stock bus vendors in efforts to break up state monopoly and increase capital sources. The Beijing Bashi Co. Ltd. was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in February 2001.
　　Since 1994, Beijing’s public bus system has been in a new phase of rapid development. In the six years to 2000, the total number of buses in operation increased to 15,445, and the annual passenger traffic jumped to 3.8 billion rides.
　　Beijing Public Transportation Holdings Ltd., which operates the city’s bus system, is determined to meet high standards of public transportation and has been introducing new and environmentally friendly bus models. The total number of buses in operation will reach 20,427 at the end of 2006, all meeting the Euro III emission standard.

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