Beijing officials will meet to discuss the future of our city’s beloved subway system on October 28, in little more than a week cementing the details on the new distance-based price scheme.
The initial subway fare will either remain at RMB2 or rise to RMB3 per trip, but fares will then increase according to distance traveled. Weekly, monthly and seasonal discount passes might be developed to reduce the cost burden on daily commuters.
City planning officials seem committed to urbanizing the fare to “international standards” in which approximately 10 percent of city residents income goes towards commuting. The subway's worth it. Servicing more than 10 million passengers daily—nearly half of the city’s population of permanent residents—the price increase looks to combat issues associated with overcrowding and under funding in the capital.
Yang Xingkun, associate professor of Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, said train capacity should be capped at six passengers per square meter, requiring about 6,250 carriages to transport passengers safely. Official data on how many trains Beijing’s subway system has is unavailable, but Yang believes it’s not nearly enough.
Moreover, overcrowding has also lowered the distance between train times and led to increased maintenance. During rush hour, a train can pull into major stations roughly every minute, even though the designer said wait time should be at least two and a half minutes. Electricity prices have also surged to more than RMB5 billion per year, adding to the estimated RMB18 billion the city spends in annual subsidies to the subway. By increasing fares, Beijing hopes to inspire commuters to look for a new method of travel.
But those looking for a cheaper way out will not find the answer in the city’s bus system. Government officials hinted that bus fares will rise to either RMB1.3 or RMB1.5 per trip. The only logical answer for commuters? Time to strap on a helmet and invest in that oh-so-trendy neon colored, fixed gear bike.
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