Few use carpool lanes on first day
A sign indicates a new carpool lane on Huyi Highway at the highway's intersection with Yecheng Road
The first carpool lanes in Shanghai, on Huyi Highway in Jiading District, were put into use on Thursday, but few motorists used them during the morning rush hours.
The lanes, also known as high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, allow only buses and cars carrying at least two people, including the driver, from 7am to 10am and from 4pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday, except national holidays.
While buses tended to use the lanes, few taxis or private cars did so on the first day.
Signs indicating the purpose of the lanes were erected in multiple spots along the lanes, which run between the highway’s intersections with Chenxiang Highway in the south and Yecheng Road in the north.
A taxi driver surnamed Zhang who lives in Jiading District and often drives on Huyi Highway told Shanghai Daily that he would have mistaken the lanes for bus-only lanes if he hadn’t learned about them in the news.
“I think the signs are not clear enough, especially because such lanes are something new in this city,” he said. “I'm also concerned that police cameras will fail to recognize that I have passengers and fine me.”
A few private drivers passing that part of Huyi Highway told Shanghai Daily that they thought the lanes were reserved for buses only.
The traffic police said they’re testing cameras along the lanes which can be used to automatically capture offenders. Offenders will be fined 100 yuan (US$14).
Ye Qing, an official with the Shanghai traffic police, said the cameras use thermal and optical technology to catch violators, but police will also patrol the area.
Fan Hongjia, director of the facility operation department of the road transportation bureau, said that bus-only lanes in certain parts of the city might be used as carpool lanes in the future, while dedicated carpool lanes could be introduced elsewhere.
“We’re experimenting with the new concept here because this part of Huyi Highway links several populous towns and is a major route for daily commuters who drive,” he said. “We’re calling for people to take advantage of the lanes, but the results are yet to be seen.”
HOV lanes have previously been introduced in other Chinese cities, such as Chengdu and Shenzhen.
