Bus Lanes Get Green Light In Shanghai

"Shanghai commuters should get speedier rides in the next few years as the city plans to expand its 70-plus kilometers of bus lanes fourfold by 2010, transport officials said yesterday.

They'll also find bus travel slightly cheaper, with new fare discounts set to go into effect this summer.

The construction of more lanes reserved for transit buses is an important step in Shanghai's effort to improve its public transport system, officials said.

Under the plan, bus-lane coverage will be beefed up to 300 kilometers by 2010, including 110 kilometers in the downtown, said Li Wenhui, director of the Shanghai Urban Transport Management Bureau.

"The bus lanes will form a network across the city to raise transit efficiency for riders," Li said.

Fare policy changes are also in the works to encourage more commuters to ride the bus and reduce pressure on the overcrowded Metro system."