Beijing subway: more than fare

Beijing citizens will say goodbye to the city's low price transportation system next month with the municipal government announcing subway and bus fare hikes on Nov 27.

The new fares, which formally take hold on December 28, put bus fares starting at two yuan (32 cents) and subway fares at three yuan.(More)


Overcrowding	Financial burden	Security concerns
The number of passengers taking subways hit 3.2 billion last year, an increase of 350 percent from 2007. Related:Commuting time in capital averages 97 minutes; In photos: The 2-yuan fare era of Beijing subway	Transport fares have remained unchanged in Beijing for the past seven years. Even with the fare hikes, the government will still finance 50 percent of subway operating costs and 62 percent of the bus operating costs.	A Chinanews.com report says that 75 percent of the subway lines in Beijing carried passengers beyond their capacity during rush hours in 2013. Related:Subway victim was struggling single mom

Beijing subway: more than fare

Commuters' responses

Beijing subway: more than fare

Netizens' comments

1. "Despite the fare hike, the metro remains a better choice compared with a bus which is more than often unpunctual due to congested roads." (More)
2. "I don't travel to work by bus, as I would have to change buses five times between my home and the office. I only take the bus if I'm going a short distance at times when there aren't any traffic jams." (More)

1. No more bragging about the cheapest metro ticket in the country. What a Thanksgiving Day gift! Here comes the question, will the hike really ease the traffic jams in Beijing? (More)
2. Goodbye, 2-yuan metro ticket. I am gonna ride bicycle from now on.

Netizens come up with creative ways to cut the cost of subway trips

Now that Beijing commuters can no longer enjoy the "cheapest subway in China", what would you do to avoid the higher cost of subway trips? Here are some nice suggestions from Chinese netizens.

1. Transfer at the right time. Get off the subway at the station near your destination and rent a public bicycle or walk to the destination. This will help you save 1 yuan.

2. Ask your friends and relatives to swipe their metro cards as much as possible, because the more you swipe, the more discounts you will enjoy.

3. Download an app that can help you figure out the shortest distance between your starting point and destination.


Subway construction	Safety measures	Alternative means of transport
The length of Beijing's subway network will hit 527 km once the 62 km of line extensions including the latest on Line 6 are rolled out by the end of 2014, said an official of the Beijing Rail Transport company. (More)	The Beijing Subway Group has promised to install safety gates on the platforms of the city's two oldest subway lines by 2017 to shield the passengers from falling down to the rails. (More)	The city should try to provide better public transport and reduce road congestion so that commuters could have other options. Related:Carpooling picks up again in capital;Thinking outside the bus

Hopefully, in the future every commuter will enjoy a safe and affordable trip on the Beijing subway. After all, it is a point of pride for the city and entirely essential to daily life.