The issue of public buses and high transport fees were discussed during an online chat between citizens and members of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai People's Congress yesterday.

Committee head Liu Yungeng said the average monthly transport fees for office workers in Shanghai has risen to 180 yuan (US$26.35), and he admitted this was relatively high.

"The government has taken certain measures like issuing transport transfer discounts to help commuters," Liu said. He assured the forum that the committee will make public transport a priority and bring it under long-term supervision.

The session on Eastday.com began at 9:30am and lasted until 11am. Committee members received more than 2,600 questions and suggestions from concerned citizens. Other questions related to the panel's supervisory role, education, food safety and employment.

Liu stressed the importance of making governance more transparent so that citizens would learn the difficulties public officials faced while solving civic problems.

He hoped that citizens and the government could work together to achieve greater transparency.

"The government has to deal with a lot of pressing issues. For example, we need to spend a lot of money on public buses," Liu said. "But there are more urgent issues like social security, education, the minimum-living-standard guarantee system and employment problems. Each issue is urgent and needs to be addressed."

Last week, Shanghai Party Secretary Yu Zhengsheng held his first online chat with members of the public.

(Shanghai Daily November 13, 2008)