Shenzhen is set to develop five Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes
covering 130 kilometers by 2010, with construction on the one
running from Laojie (Dongmen Old Street) in Luohu district to Xili
in Nanshan district to begin at the end of the year.
BRT is a bus service which operates on exclusive lanes with
transit priority at traffic signals. It will connect subways and
conventional bus transport within the city.
The BRT routes in Shenzhen will run on specially created areas
in the middle of the road. The buses are expected to travel at an
average speed of 25 to 30 kilometers per hour, about twice the
current bus speed downtown, said the city's planning bureau.
The first route, from Laojie to Xili via Sungang Road, is
expected to be completed within a year and a half, The route was
selected based on the considerations of busy traffic on Sungang
Road and booming real estate development in Xili, said the
bureau.
The route will have three terminals -- Laojie, Xili and Honey
Lake -- and 28 stops. To guarantee the punctuality of BRT, BRT
buses will be given priority at 12 traffic signals along the route
and can also request an extended green or shorter red traffic
signal.
BRT is expected to relieve the traffic pressure and reduce the
number of private vehicles in the city. Each bus, 18 meters long
and with multiple gates, will be able to take between 180 and 200
passengers.
The city plans to introduce 40 BRT buses. The four other routes,
which will be created by 2010, will run from Shangbu Road South to
Longhua via Meilin Checkpoint, Chegongmiao to Pinghu via Buji,
Shenzhen Railway Station to Dameisha and Xiaomeisha via Dongmen,
and Shekou to Aviation Town via the business area in Nanshan.
Except for ambulances and fire trucks, no other vehicles will be
allowed to use BRT lanes. The bureau spokesman said it would
consider preventing private vehicles from entering the lanes by
using surveillance cameras.
In addition to increased speed, BRT also has certain additional
features. There will be areas for placing bicycles at each
stop.
Tickets will be sold at bus stops, instead of inside the bus,
and checked electronically. However, the BRT fare has not been
decided yet.
BRT buses are environmentally friendly, conforming strictly to
Euro III standard.
(Shenzhen Daily May 25, 2006)