Huangpu commuter ferry service to extend hours
Print Edition
AFTER a two-month trial, the city’s ferry service along the Huangpu River will extend its hours of operation, its management said yesterday, but the exact times have not yet been announced.
The service was launched by Shanghai Ferry Service Company on December 17 with the aim of alleviating road traffic during rush hours.
A single journey on the ferry takes around 30 minutes and costs 4 yuan, but it has only run from 7:30am to 9am and 4:30pm to 6pm during the trial period.
The ferry is intended to attract commuters, but very few have been using it so far because of the limited timetable and difficulties transferring to ground services.
When Shanghai Daily arrived at the stop on Gongping Road at 5pm, there were only about 10 passengers on the vessel, all local residents out to do some sightseeing.
“It’s too early for regular workers, as most people come off work at 6pm, when the last ship is scheduled to leave the dock,” said 28-year-old local resident Qiu Xiaocheng, who took her mother on the ferry to see the view along the river at sunset.
“And it’s always easier to transfer between ground transportation than from ground to water, as the nearest Metro station is about 10 minutes away from the Gongping Road stop.”
The sole commuter on the ferry, Ni Jingweijing, who works in Lujiazui, said it was a pleasure to cruise along the Huangpu River on his way home, and he enjoyed having a walk at the end of his workday.
Ni’s home is a 30-minute walk from the Gongping Road stop, and he often takes the Metro to work in the morning and the 5:30pm ferry to travel home.
However, he said the wait between ferries should be shorter and the operating hours longer. “For example, if I missed a ferry, I would have to wait 30 minutes for the next one, which is too long for commuters in the morning,” he said.
The service attracted more than 1,000 trips on its first day, but the traffic has been declining, and the average number of passengers per day is now just over 100.
The company told Shanghai Daily it will work with transport officials to evaluate the trial service, and may consider allowing bicycles and motorbikes on board to attract more passengers.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
