By 2010, 80 percent of residents living in Shanghai city center will be able to board a bus within 300 meters of their homes. And 75 percent of them will have access to the rail network within 600 meters of home, according to the city's five-year guidelines for urban traffic improvements published on February 20.

To tie in with the established rail transit network, 80 stations will be built to facilitate transfers. By 2010 the carrying capacity of public transport is predicted to reach 16.9 million people per day. An estimated 70 million visitors are expected during the 2010 World Expo and it's been estimated that 400,000 to 600,000 people a day will be using the system, according to an Oriental Morning Post report on February 21.

The sweeping city transport blueprint includes rail and road public transport, downtown area and new suburban area links and traffic flow between Shanghai and neighboring Yangtze River Delta cities. In the city center it is envisaged that travel between two locations would be completed within an hour. In new suburban areas one link will give access to the rail network while residents living in new villages will have direct access for their travel to towns. 

Eight hundred new taxi request stops will be added to the current 1,000 before 2010. Methods for securing taxis will also be revamped with emphasis being placed on telephone bookings and shifting away from the traditional road side "pot luck" method.

The total number of taxis is set to reach 50,000 including 9,000 regional operators. It is anticipated that the majority of vehicles will be more environmentally friendly, make better use of energy, be safer and more comfortable than those in service now. Around 10 percent of the luxury taxies will be found in the city center.

By 2010, 11 new rail links will have been built in the city covering an estimated 400 kilometers. It is anticipated that 5 million passengers will use rail services each day, accounting for 30 percent of the city's total public transport capacity.

To assist local people with their travel, a "one ticket for all" service will be available in all rail carriages. Near railway stations there'll be at least one "final-run" vehicle waiting for passengers alighting from the "final run" train.

The construction of the rail links between the city center and the new suburban areas of Songjiang, Anting, Jiading and Lingang has been stepped up to boost their development.

During the 2006-10 period, 300 kilometers of "exclusive bus lanes" will be built to speed up the travel of commuters. Peak-time operating speeds of these vehicles may well be raised from 15 kph to between 18 and 20 kph. At least one form of public transport should be available to all communities with 5,000 residents or more with timetables designed to meet their needs.

Availability and use of the public transport network in city center will be optimized. About 60 percent of current stations and terminals will be revamped to help form a new public transport network which is in harmony with existing rail services. 

The new suburban areas will have more regional public transport vehicles to cover nine new cities, 60 new towns and 600 new villages.

By 2010, all public transport vehicles operating in city centers will be air-conditioned and be of the Euro II emission standard; 800 buses will be driven by natural gas and it is anticipated that these modern machines will achieve a utilization rate of around 70 percent. Vehicles which do not meet the emission standards will have to be improved or updated.

Meanwhile, the technical quality of vehicles will be further enhanced and the use of clean-energy vehicles promoted. Comfortable, environmental-friendly and high-class vehicles will make up the majority of coaches. The total number of vehicles involved in long-distance passenger transport will be around 13,000 of which 90 percent will be of a middle or high class standard.

(China.org.cn by Zhang Yunxing, February 27, 2006)