Ministry of Construction

In order to promote the transport as well as harmonious economic and social development in cities, the following proposals are put forward hereby on prior development of public transport in cities:

1. Fully comprehend the significance of prior development of public transport in cities

Urban public transport refers to the public transport system for passenger transportation comprised of buses, electric cars, rail transport, taxies, ferries etc. and it is an important urban infrastructure as well as a kind of social public welfare undertaking involving the national economy and the people's livelihood. Prior development of urban public transport is not only an effective measure for alleviating traffic jam in cities, but also an inevitable requirement for promoting sustainable development of cities.

People’s governments of various cities should fully comprehend the significance of prior development of urban public transport, regard it as an important task to concentrate on the development of public transport and offer urban residents a safe, convenient, comfortable, prompt and economic travel means, and give wide publicity to the significance of implementing “prior development of public transport” to create a social climate favorable to continuous, stable and healthy development of urban public transport.

2. Main tasks and objectives of prior development of urban public transport

The main objective is to strive to basically establish the dominant status of public transport among urban transport systems in approximately 5 years. Average operational speed of bus or electric car shall reach 20km/h or above, and the ratio of punctual arrival shall be 90% or above. With respect to the ratio of stop coverage calculated according to a radius of 300m, it shall be over 50% in urban area and over 70% in central downtown area. In super megalopolises, it is required to basically build a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system as the backbone, with conventional bus and electric car as the main body, and with other means of public transport including taxi as the supplementary, the time needed to travel with public transport from one spot in urban area to any other spot shall be no more than 50 minutes, and the proportion of urban public transport in overall urban transport system shall reach 30% or above. In large and medium-sized cities, it is planned to basically build an urban public transport system with bus and electric car as the main body and with taxi as the supplementary, the time needed to travel with public transport from one spot in urban area to any other spot shall be no more than 30 minutes, and the proportion of urban public transport in overall urban transport system shall reach 20% or above.

3. Strengthen the guiding role of urban planning

Overall Planning of Urban Transport and Special Planning of Urban Public Transport shall be seriously compiled to definitely stipulate the functional allocation, arrangement of lines/networks and facilities, size and distribution of stations, etc. Cities that are going to construct rail transport shall seriously compile Construction Planning of Urban Rail Transport to definitely stipulate long term objective and the construction task for near future as well as corresponding financing scheme, and to definitely stipulate the site selection of lines and stops for rail transport, planning and control of the land used along the lines as well as the connection with other transport means.

Overall Planning of Urban Transport and Special Planning of Urban Public Transport for large cities and megalopolises shall be added to Overall Urban Planning after special technical proof and examination by executive authorities in charge of construction of provincial level or above, and shall be submitted for final approval in accordance with the procedure stipulated in Overall Urban Planning. Construction Planning of Urban Rail Transport shall be submitted to the Ministry of Construction and the National Development and Reform Commission for examination after preliminary examination by executive authorities in charge of construction of provincial level or above and then submitted to the State Council for examination and approval.

Before the end of 2004, the people’s government of each city shall carry out a complete examination concerning the compilation and implementation of the planning. Those who have not compiled the planning according to stipulations shall complete the compilation work in specified time limit; those who have compiled the planning which does not comply with the demand of the city for development shall revise and perfect it in specified time limit and submit it for approval according to laws. Executive authorities in charge of construction of provincial level or above shall regularly check and examine the implementation of the planning as well as the punishment given to the behavior in violation of the planning.

4. Perfect the facilities of car yard and station for urban public transport

The government shall increase its strength in the investment in and construction of car yard and station for public transport based on the mode of “uniform planning, uniform administration, government-guided and market-operated”. In respect to those facilities of yard and station for public transport that have been put into use, their purpose shall not be changed without permission. Attention shall be paid to the construction of transfer junction for various transport tools to shorten the transfer distance and time between different transport means for the passengers’ convenience to make transfer.

5. Construct special road system for public transport

“Special driveway for public transport” is the main carrier for realizing public transport priority. Emphasis shall be laid on the construction of special road system for public transport among recent construction work, and the privileged and prior use of the road by public transport vehicles shall be ensured through setup and allocation of special road for public transport, prior unilateral-directional and special converse lines etc. A marking system of complete signs, marking lines etc. shall be provided to special driveways for public transport, which shall be clear and visual. Propaganda and instruction shall be strengthened to ensure special driveways for exclusive public transport purpose. A monitoring system of special driveways for public transport shall be established and those social vehicles that occupy the special driveways and disturb normal operation of public transport shall be dealt with seriously.

A sign system for prior transit of buses shall be scientifically and reasonably set up to reduce the stopping time of public transport vehicles before road crossings. Along main arteries of a city, bus bays as well as auxiliary stop facilities shall be constructed and taxi stops shall be reasonably planned and set up.

Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) is a kind of new means of public transport by way of special public transport vehicle with large capacity which is operated in special road space and controlled by special sign and it has such features as large traffic volume, swift and safe etc., in addition to its comparatively low engineering and operational cost. Those qualified cities shall, in combination with the reconstruction of urban road network, actively develop BRT system.

6. Formulate relevant economic policies on prior development of urban public transport

Urban public transport is a kind of social public welfare undertaking and its development shall be accommodated into the public financial system.

A normative subsidiary system with public finance shall be established. When determining ticket price of urban public transport, the enterprise’s operational cost as well as the residents’ bearing ability shall be taken into consideration, the advantage of price shall be fully utilized to attract passenger flow, enhance the use rate of urban public transport in the maximum degree, and promote the prior development of urban public transport.

7. Actively and steadily advance the reform of the industry of public transport

According to the requirement of Proposals on Speeding-up Marketization Process of Municipal Public Utilities, we should further break monopoly, open up the market of urban public transport, implement the franchised operational system of urban public transport, and gradually establish a framework with state ownership, multiple participants, sizeable operation and orderly competition.

The reform of state-owned enterprises of urban public transport shall be deepened. On the basis of clarified property right, direct social funds and foreign capital to participate in the reform and restructuring of enterprises, we should optimize the capital structure of the enterprises, and realize the diversification of investors.

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