Ease of travel should enjoy priority in urban road use, according to a signed article in Dazhong Daily.

The B1 route in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, the longest Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route in China, was put into use in late April. Local residents who had long suffered congestion have high expectations for the BRT system. But the route has also aroused doubts in the past three months.

Why does the system, which has gained much success and praise in many other countries, encounter reproach in Hangzhou? So far, it is questioned most over wasting road resources. Some drivers said that during peak hours of the day, with the roads jammed by cars, they still could not use the empty BRT lane. Drivers feel bad about that. Some experts also think there is a lack of road resources in Hangzhou and a special BRT lane is a waste.

These complaints and doubts are actually rooted in the mindset of the "supreme right of cars." This mindset actually puts the rights of cars foremost, but forgets the rights of human beings.

Convenience in human beings' travelling is the starting point for all issues concerning roads and traffic. The principle of road resource distribution emphasizes the easy transit of people but not the equality of vehicles. It is a human-oriented principle. In the specific case of BRT lanes, it may seem that BRT encroaches on the road rights of other vehicles, but actually it meets the interests and needs of the majority of the public. The BRT suits the requirement of urban social development, which should be encouraged and promoted.

It is estimated that a lane can be used by, at most, 700 private cars with about 2,000 people in an hour. But a special BRT lane, though only used by 100 buses in an hour, can solve the travelling needs of 15,000 people. Related statistics in Hangzhou also show that the number of people conveyed by BRT far exceeds that for other vehicles.

BRT can greatly improve efficiency for use of the same road resource. In a country with a large population, many cars and limited road resources, a BRT system can guarantee the travel of the most people with a small part of the road resource. It is a practical resolution to the urban congestion problem. Therefore, the human-first principle should be clarified in road use. This will help build a more effective urban road transport.