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Airport shuttle bus loses out to extended Metro
By Zha Minjie |
December 18, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WITH an improved Metro service to Hongqiao International Airport now in operation, the future of a shuttle bus service there from downtown hangs in the balance.
The bus route, from Jing'an Temple to Terminal 1 has seen passenger numbers drop since the Metro Line 10 extended to the airport in late November.
"Many times I am the only person on the bus," said a shuttle bus driver on the Bashi Buses service, who asked not to be named.
On a recent visit to the bus stop at the Jing'an Temple hub, Shanghai Daily found only one passenger onboard the bus at about 11am.
The service, which takes about 45 minutes, usually runs from 6am until 8pm. However, it also takes some late-night air travelers back to downtown.
The shuttle driver said before the Metro squeezed business, the route could secure 10,000 yuan (US$1,500) of ticket sales a day. "Now we're lucky to collect 500 yuan." The ticket is priced at 4 yuan, about the same as the Metro, which is faster.
However, the Bashi Buses insists there is still demand for the service. Airport or airline staff take the bus to T1 during peak hours, it said.
Lu Gaosheng, an official with the city transport management administration, said: "The buses are mainly for public services, but they are also operated by market standards."
No company is able to survive with a long-term deficit, Lu said.
The bus route, from Jing'an Temple to Terminal 1 has seen passenger numbers drop since the Metro Line 10 extended to the airport in late November.
"Many times I am the only person on the bus," said a shuttle bus driver on the Bashi Buses service, who asked not to be named.
On a recent visit to the bus stop at the Jing'an Temple hub, Shanghai Daily found only one passenger onboard the bus at about 11am.
The service, which takes about 45 minutes, usually runs from 6am until 8pm. However, it also takes some late-night air travelers back to downtown.
The shuttle driver said before the Metro squeezed business, the route could secure 10,000 yuan (US$1,500) of ticket sales a day. "Now we're lucky to collect 500 yuan." The ticket is priced at 4 yuan, about the same as the Metro, which is faster.
However, the Bashi Buses insists there is still demand for the service. Airport or airline staff take the bus to T1 during peak hours, it said.
Lu Gaosheng, an official with the city transport management administration, said: "The buses are mainly for public services, but they are also operated by market standards."
No company is able to survive with a long-term deficit, Lu said.
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