The underdeveloped public transport system in major Chinese
cities is one of the most talked about causes of traffic
congestion.
Reasonably priced but less efficient and crowded bus rides are
no longer popular for relatively well-off residents, or those on
strict schedules. However for regular commuters and people who
cannot afford a private vehicle, or taxi service, public transport
is and will be their only choice. These regular commuters are the
overwhelming majority so it is good the Ministry of Construction,
the national caretaker of urban public transport, has finally made
up its mind to press for changes.
On Saturday, the ministry urged all large and medium-sized
cities to refine local public transport networks in order for
public transport to account for 30 percent of local passenger flow
by 2011.
The nationwide average now is below 10 percent.
It is a relief that the ministry, long pre-occupied with
construction and renovation in urban development, has at last seen
the limitations of widening roads.
In Beijing, for example, traffic congestions have hardly been
eased in spite of continuous road-widening projects.
World Bank data made public at the Saturday meeting show that
average rush-hour vehicle speed on trunk lines between Beijing's
second and third ring roads dropped from 45 kilometers per hour in
1994 to below 10 kilometers in 2005.
The ministry's proposal to transform urban traffic signal
systems and allow certain privileges for buses may be conducive to
restoring commuter interest. But its implementation will take a lot
of brainwork.
It requires meticulous weighing and coordinating to maneuver a
reasonable balance between everybody's right of way.
The ministry has shown intention to raise the cost of the use of
non-public vehicles, though it is yet to come up with executable
schemes. That may contribute to diluting traffic on the
streets.
But the most important precondition, as the ministry has
observed, is government input. In recent years, many local
governments have invested heavily in building and renovating roads.
But much less was spent on updating our over-burdened public
transport networks.
Some cities have even used public land designated for public
transport facilities for other development programs in order to
make profits.
Since many public transport operators are running in the red
because of higher prices for fuel, insurance and maintenance, some
local governments have simply sold or leased bus companies or
routes to private firms.
A 2006 survey of 117 cities by the Ministry of Construction
found that 66 failed to finance or offer policy incentives for
infrastructure construction, or vehicle and equipment update.
The policy guidelines issued on Saturday to give priority to
urban public transport promise that the central government will
offer subsidies to compensate for the economic losses resulting
from oil price hikes. That is good news for all.
(China Daily December 4, 2006)