Fares

Bus fares are relatively cheap compared to subways and taxis. All of the city's buses are equipped with air conditioners. They charge a flat rate of 2 yuan ($0.29) while the fare for children is 1 yuan. Most buses running on downtown streets don’t have bus conductors. As for some buses running long routes, commuting from the downtown to suburbs, they may charge over 2 yuan depending on the distance.

Getting On and Off

Many of the buses in Shanghai don’t have conductors. You should board at the front door and put the bus fare into a moneybox beside the driver. The back door is for alighting.

It's advisable to keep some loose change for riding on conductor-less buses. The boxes do not provide change and the drivers are not allowed to handle cash. If you want to test your Chinese and courage, you can throw in a 10-yuan bill and ask the driver to allow you to collect other passengers' money as your change.

You will see several yellow seats on each bus. They are reserved for senior citizens, small children, the sick, disabled and pregnant women.