By 2010, 80 percent of residents living in Shanghai city center
will be able to board a bus within 300 meters of their homes. And
75 percent of them will have access to the rail network within 600
meters of home, according to the city's five-year guidelines for
urban traffic improvements published on February 20.
To tie in with the established rail transit network, 80 stations
will be built to facilitate transfers. By 2010 the carrying
capacity of public transport is predicted to reach 16.9 million
people per day. An estimated 70 million visitors are expected
during the 2010 World Expo and it's been estimated that 400,000 to
600,000 people a day will be using the system, according to an
Oriental Morning Post report on February 21.
The sweeping city transport blueprint includes rail and road
public transport, downtown area and new suburban area links and
traffic flow between Shanghai and neighboring Yangtze River Delta
cities. In the city center it is envisaged that travel between two
locations would be completed within an hour. In new suburban areas
one link will give access to the rail network while residents
living in new villages will have direct access for their travel to
towns.
Eight hundred new taxi request stops will be added to the
current 1,000 before 2010. Methods for securing taxis will also be
revamped with emphasis being placed on telephone bookings and
shifting away from the traditional road side "pot luck" method.
The total number of taxis is set to reach 50,000 including 9,000
regional operators. It is anticipated that the majority of vehicles
will be more environmentally friendly, make better use of energy,
be safer and more comfortable than those in service now. Around 10
percent of the luxury taxies will be found in the city center.
By 2010, 11 new rail links will have been built in the city
covering an estimated 400 kilometers. It is anticipated that 5
million passengers will use rail services each day, accounting for
30 percent of the city's total public transport capacity.
To assist local people with their travel, a "one ticket for all"
service will be available in all rail carriages. Near railway
stations there'll be at least one "final-run" vehicle waiting for
passengers alighting from the "final run" train.
The construction of the rail links between the city center and
the new suburban areas of Songjiang, Anting, Jiading and Lingang
has been stepped up to boost their development.
During the 2006-10 period, 300 kilometers of "exclusive bus
lanes" will be built to speed up the travel of commuters. Peak-time
operating speeds of these vehicles may well be raised from 15 kph
to between 18 and 20 kph. At least one form of public transport
should be available to all communities with 5,000 residents or more
with timetables designed to meet their needs.
Availability and use of the public transport network in city
center will be optimized. About 60 percent of current stations and
terminals will be revamped to help form a new public transport
network which is in harmony with existing rail services.
The new suburban areas will have more regional public transport
vehicles to cover nine new cities, 60 new towns and 600 new
villages.
By 2010, all public transport vehicles operating in city centers
will be air-conditioned and be of the Euro II emission standard;
800 buses will be driven by natural gas and it is anticipated that
these modern machines will achieve a utilization rate of around 70
percent. Vehicles which do not meet the emission standards will
have to be improved or updated.
Meanwhile, the technical quality of vehicles will be further
enhanced and the use of clean-energy vehicles promoted.
Comfortable, environmental-friendly and high-class vehicles will
make up the majority of coaches. The total number of vehicles
involved in long-distance passenger transport will be around 13,000
of which 90 percent will be of a middle or high class standard.
(China.org.cn by Zhang Yunxing, February 27, 2006)