Is Riding the Beijing Subway About to Get More Expensive?

By Alistair Baker-Brian, March 31, 2021

Beijing’s Department of Transport has announced that the city will soon start trialing ‘peak hours ticket prices.’

This means that during peak travel times in the morning and evening, riding the subway in the capital could become more expensive.

However, if you regularly commute on the subway during peak hours, you supposedly don’t have to worry. The announcement also mentioned exempting regular commuters from peak hours prices.

The measures, which are expected to soon enter the trial stage, have the aim of encouraging more off-peak travel for those who are able to do so.

It comes along with a whole host of other recent subway-related measures, such as a ‘carbon-neutral incentive’ to encourage people to ditch private cars in favor of more eco-friendly public transport.

There are also plans to build ‘park and ride’ parking lots at certain subway stations in the Beijing suburbs. These include Tuntian station on Line 16, Pinguoyuan transport hub nearby Pinguoyuan station on Line 6 and Line 1, Yancundong station on the Yanfang line and Anheqiao station on Line 4.

The measure will hopefully encourage those who drive from outside Beijing city center to park their vehicles and take the subway into the center of the capital.

In addition, there is also work on integrating public transport between Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province, or the 京津冀 region.

One such measure has already been implemented in the form of allowing commuters to use the same app to ride both the Beijing and Tianjin subway networks.

Many questions remain unanswered regarding the plans to change the pricing system during peak travel hours. What is the criteria to be classed as a ‘regular commuter’ and therefore eligible for lower prices during peak hours? And when exactly are Beijing’s ‘peak hours?’

Such questions will hopefully have answers if the plans make it beyond the trial stage.

[Cover image via Global Times]