Guangzhou to electrify all buses

Guangzhou has ensured that all the buses in the city will be electric vehicles before the end of 2018, according to the 2018 Guangzhou Traffic & Transport Administration Conference held on March 22.

At the conference, the communications commission of Guangzhou municipality stated that it will step up efforts to create a high-standard transport network to better serve Guangzhou citizens. It underlined enhancing the transport service during important public holidays, the beginning of school semesters, and significant trade or cultural events such as the Canton Fair. The commission also promised to raise traffic management efficiency in the neighboring areas of Baiyun International Airport and Guangzhou South Railway Station.

The construction of a high-quality above-ground public transit system is another work priority of the Guangzhou municipal government. To start with, Guangzhou aims to open or optimize 35 bus lines.

The transport-related sectors will explore various ways to build a more efficient management system. First, they will implement a coordinated plan for reform of taxi management, pushing related legislation and optimizing pricing structure and revenue distribution for the taxi industry. Moreover, they will establish and improve new mechanisms to evaluate the social benefits created by different public transport enterprises and allocate fiscal subsidies accordingly. Finally, they will continue to improve the regulation and supervision of shared cars, shared bikes, and online car-hailing services.

The commission also stressed its goal of making the city's traffic system cleaner and smarter. On the one hand, it will keep adding new energy vehicles to meet the target of full electrification of all buses within 2018. On the other hand, it will strive to improve a comprehensive traffic management through multiple methods such as big data, blockchain, and smart sensor technologies.