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Beijing's boom brings a bonanza of buses

By Wang Zhuoqiong, Li Fangchao and Wang Qian (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-19 10:17

Among the sights seen by riders on special Olympics Bus No. 1 is the Bird's Nest and cauldron. [China Daily]

Xie Deming does not have a ticket to any event of the 2008 Olympic Games, but he has found his own way of joining in the Olympic fervor in Beijing. And it costs him just 1 yuan (15 cents).

Like thousands of ticket holders, the 31-year-old migrant worker from Hubei province is making good use of the special Olympic bus routes available to take spectators to the sports venues.

The only difference is that Xie takes the bus to sightsee such Olympic architectural wonders as the Bird's Nest stadium and the Water Cube.

"During the Games, more than 14 million people take the bus as their first choice. Buses today are truly the people's transport," Director Liu Runfang of Beijing Public Transport Holdings Ltd said.

The addition of special bus routes during the Olympics is the latest expansion of this form of public transportation as Beijing tries to keep pace with the increasing demands of rapid urbanization and population growth in the last two decades. The city is encouraging more residents to take the bus with low fares, good facilities and routes with wide coverage.

Last Friday evening, Xie was standing in a line of people waiting for Bus No 1 at the Olympic South Station near Beitucheng East Road. Bus No 1 is popular as it has the giant steel Bird's Nest stadium and futuristic Water Cube on its route. People with tickets for Olympic events, members of media covering the Games and Olympic volunteers can all take the bus for free.

For people like Xie, 1 yuan will provide a nice visual tour of these Olympic venues through the bus window.

"It is a good way to see these Olympic venues," he said. "Otherwise, I can only see them on TV. So I guess this is a good chance to see the real thing up close."

Xie was not alone in the long line this evening. College student Luo Hengzhi and his girlfriend Xu Qing were doing the same thing. "We don't have (Olympic) tickets, but we think it is a good idea to see the blue Water Cube and Bird's Nest illuminated at night," Luo said.

There are other Beijing residents who benefit from the special Olympic bus routes in their own way.

Sun Xiaojing, 27, a contractor at the logistics department at the Olympic village, said that instead of making two changes on the subway, she is taking the bus directly from her home near the Qianmen Street to the village.

"Why not (take the bus)? It is convenient, quick, and cheaper," she said.

Even without the advent of the Beijing Olympics, more than 12 million people take buses every day in Beijing. This public transportation system covers 18 districts and operates 633 routes.

"Beijing is a huge metropolis which means the traffic patterns are complicated for public transportation, so it is very important to arrange the bus routes scientifically," said Zhang Zheng, a 27-year-old conductor of Bus No 27 said.

Zhang has been crazy about buses ever since he was 6 years-old and can tell you where every bus stop is in the city. In July, he published a Beijing Public Transportation Guide which lists more than 5, 000 bus stops in alphabetic order.

"Many bus stops just move away without notice, which causes a lot of inconvenience to passengers. I often go out to check the bus routes and correct the mistakes." Zhang explained.

Those inconveniences pale in comparison to the dramatic changes that 75-year-old retired post office accountant Li Peixin has witnessed in his five decades of riding the public bus.

"I have lived in the Fengtai district since 1960. Back then, there was only one bus route connecting the Fengtai district to downtown Beijing, which was far from the residential area," Li recalled. "And the bus never showed up on time," he added.

A trip downtown meant a half -hour walk to the bus stop, at least a half-hour wait, and a more than two hour long ride for Li.

"People just had to wait for that shabby bus for a long time, freezing in winter or sweating in summer," he said.

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