New bus routes to ease Hongqiao CBD commuting pressure

Fifteen regular bus routes have begun operation in the Hongqiao central business district making commuting easier for the area's white-collar workers.

The 80-plus shuttle buses are operated by Shanghai-based travel company Ctrip. 

They will connect the Hongqiao CBD with Huaqiao, Jiangqiao, Jiuting, Sijing and the Shanghai International Circuit areas.

"The Hongqiao CBD has more than 3,000 companies, and many workers complain about inconvenient traffic," said Chen Liwei, deputy director of the administrative committee of the Hongqiao CBD.

"These new energy buses will tackle the 'last-kilometer' transport problem of workers, as well as relieve public traffic pressure and parking difficulties," he said.

Jin Kai, chief of Ctrip's commuter bus service arm, added that the new routes use Internet Plus and big data analysis technologies to provide customized service. 

Passengers are able to book seats in advance and check the real-time location of buses via a WeChat mini program. 

The fare is 10 yuan (US$1.5) on average. It costs 13 yuan from Sijing area in Songjiang District to the Hongqiao CBD, and it is 12 yuan from Shanghai International Circuit in Jiading District to the CBD.

"In the past, I needed to transfer between two metro lines and one bus to reach the CBD with more than 20 stops included, taking nearly two hours for a single trip," said Iris Jiang, who works at a petrochemical company in the CBD and lives in suburban Jiading District. "Now, it takes less than one hour on the bus.

"The metro trains are very crowded at peak time, and now I can even have a nap on the bus."