Public transport in China
Rating: 7,7/10 (5640 votes)  When choosing tours to China, you need to be prepared for many things. One of the most common problems for a Russian-speaking tourist – this is the public transport of China. For many, this problem is solved quite easily – organized tours and prepaid airport transfers. But those who travel on their own will need to familiarize themselves with China's public transport system in advance. Like many aspects of life in the Middle Kingdom, this side of everyday life has its own, and not always pleasant, features. Let's consider the most popular ways of moving around China.  Bus Buses, trams and trolleybuses in ChinaThe city bus network is operating just as well. In China, they are very effective in dealing with the problem of traffic jams. They try to make pedestrian crossings in large cities either underground or above it. This reduces the number of traffic lights. Crossroads are turned into huge multi-level interchanges. Buses in China are different: there are modern ones, equipped with air conditioning, an electronic payment gate, an electronic running line that notifies about the current and next stop; but there are quite old models that are unremarkable. Most buses are equipped with an automatic descent-lift to provide comfortable accommodation for disabled people in transport. In China, the rule is carefully followed following which passengers enter the front door and exit the back.  Trolleybuses Payment for travel can be made by -different: with the help of a conductor, electronic systems or independently. In the latter case, passengers conscientiously put money in a box next to the driver, the low fare excludes the appearance of"hares". Important: If a conductor is working on the bus, he will ask which stop you are going to ... As a rule, in such cases, the fare depends on the distance, but tickets rarely cost more than 5 yuan for intra-city routes and 20 yuan for intercity routes. Trams and trolleybuses in China operate in a similar way. One has only to remember that not every city has such a luxury as electrified transport. Most often, tram routes in China have limited branches, which must be borne in mind. Almost all traffic patterns are posted on the Internet, though – Chinese only.  Tram Metro in ChinaMetro in China – the fastest growing mode of transport. In 2015, underground lines are operating in full force in 29 major cities of the country, and in the coming years it is planned to launch 19 more subways throughout the Middle Kingdom. The undoubted advantage of the metro in China is – this is his speed. Trains arrive on a strict schedule, and the waiting time for trains rarely exceeds 15 minutes. In a matter of minutes, a subway car will take you to any part of the city, and in the case of Hong Kong or Guangzhou - and ndash; even to neighboring cities. Security in the Chinese subway is strictly monitored. X-ray frames for bags are installed near the turnstiles at each station. Before going through the `` spinner '', you will need to skip ahead of yourself your luggage, even if it is a small purse or handbag.  In a subway car Important: The purchased subway ticket in China must be kept until the end of the trip. When leaving the station, used tickets are collected in special containers or given to the staff - for reuse. If this is not done - you will have to pay an impressive fine. Tickets are bought either directly at the ticket office before entering the station, or in electronic terminals located nearby. There are much less queues at the ticket office, but you will have to communicate with the operator either in Chinese or in fingers – many people in China do not know English or Russian. Frequent reviews of tourists about the stampede in the Chinese subway – nothing more than rumors. The workload of cars is observed only in the evening rush hours at some stations in Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong. The rest of the time, the cars run relatively freely, despite the huge metro passenger traffic. Most of the Chinese metro stations appeared after the 1990s. This explains the high manufacturability of the halls, as well as the cars themselves. In addition to the speakerphone, here you can see many monitors and other attributes of modern civilization.  One-way ticket Trains and trains in ChinaTrains in China – the most popular form of public transport. With all the ensuing consequences. The most unpleasant of them is – this is a high workload of wagons even at short distances and numerous problems with tickets, especially before public holidays and long weekends. Tickets for intercity trains in China go on sale 10-15 days before departure. It is impossible to redeem a ticket in a month due to high demand. As a rule, it is difficult to find tickets 4-5 days before the flight, even to unpopular destinations. As in the rest of the world, security is paid much attention to in Chinese train stations. Before entering, you will need to go through one or even two metal detector frames, having previously given your luggage and carry-on baggage for an X-ray check. Important: At train stations in China, access to aprons is limited. After passing the security gate, you can safely take the line to the gate on the platform. As a rule, queues are very long here, and those who are in front will immediately run to occupy free luggage compartments in the carriages.  Electric train Trains in China are divided into several types – by the degree of comfort of the carriages and the speed of movement:
Important: Even on trains of the category G, the ticket price may not include the use of basic amenities – such as soap or toilet paper. To get them, you will need to contact the conductor and pay a certain amount. But better – always have such little things with you. There are no problems with restaurant cars on Chinese trains. Some destinations have additional service, but the prices are frustrating to say the least. It will be much cheaper to buy `` dry rations '' in the supermarket and have a quiet snack, admiring the views from the window. The problem of overcrowding in trains in China is always relevant. You need to be prepared that even the most expensive trains will sell standing places on certain days, which dramatically reduces the comfort of travel, but such are the realities of the most populous country on the planet.  Taxi Taxi in ChinaHaving decided to use a taxi in China, it is worth remembering the most important nuance of this type of transport - ndash; in the Middle Kingdom, it is almost entirely in the hands of private companies, so the prices for the trip, like the trips themselves, can turn out to be unpredictable. There are legal taxi parking zones at airports and train stations in China. At almost every parking space, at any time of the day, a long queue of arriving passengers is formed – this is normal in China. Sometimes you have to stand in line for more than an hour – and this is also considered the norm here. All legal taxi drivers in China use meters. As a rule, the tariff for short routes – RMB 10 per kilometer. For long journeys, the cost of each kilometer is reduced. During the waiting time, as well as for each traffic jam, the counters rewind their tariffs. Important: In China, it is customary for taxi drivers to pick up passengers on the road. As a rule, they quickly negotiate a price with the driver, which does not in any way relate to the cost that lights up on the taximeter. Chinese taxi drivers love tourists. If the passenger has at least basic knowledge of the language, then an emotional conversation is provided for the whole journey. We also recommend reading National dishes of China Topic: Public transport in China. |
