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Trial operation for Bus No. 71 that's set to defy traffic congestion

By Zhang Ningning | January 21, 2017, Saturday | Online Edition

THE congestion-defying Bus No. 71 started trial operation from today, though it has not opened to the public yet.  

Buses running for the route are the only vehicles that have special access to the 17.5-kilometer bus-only lanes under the Yan’an Elevated Road, which is also known as the medium-capacity traffic project. 

The project was set up to provide a quicker public transport alternative along the trunk road.

Passengers are expected to be able to take the new bus route from February 1, according to the city's transportation commission.

Other vehicles that drive on the lanes will be fined for 100 yuan from Saturday, the traffic police said. 

Emergency vehicles like police cars, fire engines and ambulances are exceptions.

A Shanghai Daily reporter took a ride on the bus from its terminal at Shentong Road to the other end on the Bund on Saturday morning. 

Thanks to the bus-only lanes and a special traffic light system, the bus was able to enjoy a much smoother transportation at some intersections where vehicles on the other lanes were jammed in queues.

However the ride still took 90 minutes, longer than the project’s original target.
“We expected a single journey would take about 65 minutes,” said Chen Lin, vice manager of Shanghai Ba-Shi Public Transportation Group. 

”However, the speed has not lifted to target yet, as the drivers are still familiarizing themselves with the new vehicles and the new lane setting.”

Chen said the company expected the travel journey will gradually meet the requirement as the drivers get adapted to the route and the signal system further improves.

The No. 71 buses will use a special set of signal lights to match the improved speed. If the sensors detect an upcoming bus that will pass the intersection within eight seconds, the signal system will then prolong the green light for some eight seconds for the buses. Vehicles on the same direction with the buses will be able to enjoy the extra window as well.

The buses are also the only vehicles entitled to cross the intersection among Yan'an Road W., Gubei Road and Hongqiao Road directly. Other vehicles running on the road will have to take a detour at the intersection. 

About 11 bus stops are within 500 meters away from Metro stations, which will provide an easier transferring. 

Some other bus routes are also expected to adjust their stops so the passengers can transfer easier. 

"The project is not only about setting up a new route, but also providing a systematic public transportation network, like a fishbone," said Li Junhao, general engineer with the transportation commission. 

Li added they are studying the feasibility to set up similar projects along other trunk roads in future.

A total of 40 18-meter electric buses will run for the route. The first bus will leave Shenkun Road at 4:30am and the last at 10:30pm; times at the other end of the route, the Bund, will be 5:30am and 11:30pm. Besides, the project also has a 15.5-kilometer section route, between Shenkun Road and Huangpi Road N. The section route will be operated with 28 12-meter buses.

The project with 25 stops connects four districts in Puxi, namely Huangpu, Jing'an, Minhang and Changning.

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