Transportation -- Urban Transportation

Urban transportation plays an important role in each city of China. With improvements in road construction, more convenient transport options are available. Public buses, taxies, bicycles are the most common vehicles for you to take. In some modern and developed Chinese cities, subway, light rail and even Maglev trains can all be considered as good ways for you to get around the city.

Bus
In China, almost all major cities are equipped with a developed bus transport system. Bus transport is the main choice, in urban and suburban areas, for its economy and convenience.

The intercity long-distance bus is another option chosen by greater numbers of people due to the extension and development of highways in China. All the Chinese cities have coach stations, which can usually be found at the city's railway station. Busier tourist cites may have more than one coach station distributed throughout the city. Long-distance buses, running to almost all the other Chinese cities, especially the cities nearby, often depart at a certain interval. The operation time usually is from early morning to late at night, with seasonal variations in different cities. For much longer distance, fewer services will be run a day. Tickets, which may be purchased at the coach station in advance or from the conductor after you get on the bus, are much cheaper than a train fare. Make sure that you choose the right bus to the right direction since the coach station is always disordered and crowded. TV and air-conditioning are usually provided on the long-distance buses, some may also have a toilet and sleeping berth if you have an overnight journey.

Public buses are quite common in Chinese cities. They are generally crowded especially in the downtown at peak time. Traffic jams often occur in large and populous cities where the highways are always full of buses, cars and people. Most of the buses run only during the daytime from about 06:30 to 19:30, though a few services may run later. There may be buses in some cities running through the night. Self-service ticketing buses now are very popular in China, with CNY1.00 or CNY1.20 for one ticket. A coin box is installed at the front door of the bus where passengers get on. However, many buses still have a conductor who sells tickets to you after you get on the bus where the fare may be charged by distance. Pay special attention that if the bus is air-conditioned, CNY2.00 might be the required fare. LCD-screen TV sets are equipped on most buses to ease your bus trip. Bus information may vary in different cities, please refer to our city section under China Guide.

Minibuses run also along the route where the public buses operate to alleviate the pressure of bus transportation. With a little higher price for the ticket based on distance you take, the minibus now plays an important role in the city's transport network. Minibuses are always packed with people standing due to its small space and limited number of seats and it often ends its last service much earlier than the common public buses.

Due to the congestion at rush hour, you are highly recommended to avoid peak times (7:00am to 9:00am and 5:00pm to 7:00pm). In addition, pay more attention to your belongings which may attract pickpockets.

Tourist buses, usually with the special Chinese character '游' ('You' in Chinese, meaning 'travel') in front of the bus numbers, are commonly seen in major Chinese cities especially the tourist cities where there are many popular attractions. The bus runs along a special line with many scenic en route - a tour guide may be present on the bus to introduce them to you in detail. The bus trip might pass through beautiful scenery on the way.

Whenever you take the bus, do prepare small change and pay attention to the destination board to avoid going the wrong way. If necessary, on long bus journeys, prepare some medicine and sick bags in case of carsickness. Always be more careful when you are on the bus, especially when you have no seat.

Taxi
Taxi is the most convenient and quickest way for you to get around the city. You can call taxis at any time, anywhere, which may give you more flexibility to facilitate your trip. Taxis congregate at railway stations, airports and hotels. Unlike the bus, taxis run all day. The flag-down-rate for the first several kilometers varies from 5 to more than 10 Yuan depending on the city and area, and for each extra kilometer, about 2 Yuan will be added. If you take a taxi after 22:00 or 23:00, the fare will be a little higher. In some cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Xian, whenever the taxi stops for a certain time (5 minutes), an extra fee will be also charged per five minutes for waiting. Do take notice that only if the sign 'For Hire' is cocked, and lit at night,, is the taxi available for service.

Bicycle
The place where you can see the most bikes on the street may be China. As the simplest, most convenient and prevalent vehicle, the bicycle is very important in Chinese people's life. For tourists, to get around a city at their leisure by bike is a special way of getting to know the city in detail. Be careful to follow safety rules at all times especially in congested areas or on the busy street at rush hour. There are many shops that sell bicycles of various types at different prices based on the level. Bicycle renting service is also offered especially near scenic spots in tourist cities. With a rate of 20 ~ 50 Yuan a day, you can have a healthy, environment-friendly, cheap and comfortable bicycle trip wandering about the city.

Subway
As the fast and convenient way to go around the city, subway is the best choice. The first subway in China was built in 1956. At present, major large Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Taipei, Shenzhen and Nanjing have city subways. More subways are planned or under construction in Chengdu, Xian, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Dalian, Changchun, Harbin, Hangzhou, Urumqi, Suzhou, Lanzhou and Kunming.

Light Rail
Light rail is a new type of railway that can be incorporated with city roads with less investment. It is a more environment-friendly vehicle and is much safer and faster than the common railways. Now in China, several light rails are planned to be constructed in Beijing before the Olympic Games in 2008.

Maglev Train
The magnetically levitated train is the fastest of all the land transportation vehicles with the highest operating speed of 431km/h. In China, only Shanghai has this type of train, opened in 2002. It runs between Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Longyang Road Station (Close to Metro Line 2) from 7:00am to 9:00pm, departing every 20 minutes. The one-way ticket price is 50 Yuan per person or 80 Yuan per person for the roundtrip journey. There are discount rates too. For more detailed information, please refer to their official website in English: http://www.smtdc.com/en/