There are all sorts of improvements being made to Beijing’s subway system lately. Earlier this week we reported that an e-payment system has officially been rolled out on all lines – meaning commuters can now pay for the subway with their phones. Well, everyone aside from iPhone users, that is.
In other news, it’s now possible to get real-time data on how crowded the Beijing subway is. So commuters can now pick and choose their route based on how busy the subway cars and stations are. This is welcome news to all of us who regularly stand in long queues and cram ourselves into overcrowded cars.
Four colors -- black, red, yellow and green -- are used to indicate how crowded each of the 19 lines is. If the line is black it means it’s really crowded, and if it’s green it means there aren’t many passengers. And if you see the red and white fence symbol, it means the station is temporarily closed due to high traffic.
The information is refreshed every five minutes. The new service has already been rolled out on the website and will soon be incorporated into the subway app.
[Images via The Nanfang and China Daily]
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