Shanghai residents opt for ‘BMW’ to beat traffic

By IANS,

Beijing: Frustrated with traffic jams, Shanghai residents are increasingly leaving behind their cars and adopting “BMW” — bus, metro,walk.


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Gu Liping, a Shanghai resident, stopped driving his car to work and opted for public transport which saves him a good 40 minutes a day in travel time and 600 yuan ($95) a month in parking fees and fuel, reported China Daily.

“I used to think driving was more convenient than taking the subway, but as Shanghai’s traffic has grown, public transport has become more comfortable and flexible,” he said.

While it takes Gu about 55 minutes by car from home to work and costs 20 yuan per day to park, the travel time on the subway is barely 35 minutes and costs 4 yuan for a single-trip ticket.

Sun Jianping, an official, said nearly half of Shanghai residents who commute between work and home chose public transport last year and their numbers are growing.

He said the public transport network is being expanded to meet the increasing demand and ease traffic bottle-necks.

“Building an outstanding public transportation system will help enhance the city’s competitive edge and will support the creation of an environmentally friendly society,” Sun said.

Ding Shoufeng, a bus driver, said special bus lanes reduce the time it takes to cover his route by a quarter during non-peak hours.

Shanghai has around 50 bus hubs linking 208 routes and 55 metro stations across 12 subway lines.

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