Commuting efficiency in urban Beijing placed under scrutiny

Better service

The Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport announced recently that the capital would introduce an express bus service for a trial period to serve "super commuters" in these counties.

The service is expected to reduce the journey time to Beijing to about one hour. The shuttle buses, which will stop at the request of passengers, are expected to begin operating this week.

Passengers can book the service via the WeChat platform "Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Tailored Commuter Buses".

Zhang, the worker who lives in Sanhe, said he would love to use the service, as it can save him as much as two hours' commuting time every day.

"I can spend the time saved with my kids. These detailed measures announced by the government have made me more confident about the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Integrated Development plan. I believe that this policy will make my life easier and better," he said.

On July 18, a high-speed railway service began operating between Beijing and Zhuozhou, Hebei, making life easier for cross-city commuters.

Located about 60 km southwest of downtown Beijing, Zhuozhou is home to more than 7,000 commuters working in the capital.

Passengers using the service pay less than 30 yuan ($4.45) for a single journey, and trains on the route can accommodate more than 1,000 travelers.

The first train to the capital leaves Zhuozhou East station at 6:23 am and arrives at Beijing West after 24 minutes, while the last train for Zhuozhou leaves Beijing at 10 pm and takes 25 minutes to complete the journey, according to China Railway Beijing Bureau Group Co.

The new service is expected to encourage the flow of personnel and also commercial exchanges between Beijing and Hebei, as well as easing travel woes on the road for these "super commuters".

Yao Yuxin contributed to this story.