Shenzhen will add 1,130 buses, including 100 jumbo buses 13.7 meters long, to relieve passenger congestion.
The new buses account for 8.6 percent of the total number.
Four express bus routes would be opened connecting Buji and Huaqianbei, Chegongmiao, the Meilin area and Futian Free Trade Zone area, the Shenzhen transport commission said Friday.
The announcement was made after an inspection of the Meilin area by transport officials Friday, following an outcry by residents over a lack of buses on routes linking Huaqiangbei, Dongmen, Futian CBD, Nantou with subdistricts such as Longhua, Minzhi, Bantian and Buji.
“Although there are 18 bus routes passing the Hengling Industrial Zone in Minzhi Subdistrict, Bao’an, including 12 routes to downtown to serve the 54,000 nearby residents, all the buses are overloaded when they leave this bus stop,” transport commission head Zhang Shimin said.
He said 60 percent of bus passengers use the service during rush hours and an increase of private cars was another reason for traffic jams, reducing the efficiency of buses.
A shortage of bus terminals with limited parking space also restricted the turnover capacity of buses. More than 2,000 buses from three bus groups had to be parked at the roadside at night, Zhang said.
The East Bus Group would add 27 buses connecting Longgang Electronic Products World and Shenzhen Stadium between 6:30-10:
The No. 338 bus from the Waterland Resort and Huanggang Checkpoint, one of the longest bus routes, will be replaced with buses 11.5 meters long. (Han Ximin)
