The Beijinger Blog - Transport

Direct Flights to Taiwan

thebeijinger — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:00:43 +0800

The opening up of direct flights, post and shipping between the mainland and Taiwan on Monday (or the liang'an santong) is good news for those who regularly commute between Beijing and Taibei. The price of a roundtrip Beijing-Taiwan flight has dropped by about RMB 600 and now goes for something in the vicinity of RMB 3,700 including tax. The length of the flight has also been cut by over an hour with the direct flight taking a mere 3 hours and 10 minutes.

Beijing Subway Cars Converted into Student Dormitories in Sichuan

thebeijinger — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:00:15 +0800

Ever wonder what happened to those old carriages that use to run on subway line 2 before the new carriages were introduced in the lead up to the Olympics? Well turns out they've been put to good use. The Beijing Subway Company has sent them to Sichuan to be used by schools in the quake-affected city of Guangyuan. A total of 60 old DK16 trains were transported from Beijing to Guangyuan during the past few months and are now being remodeled into student dormitories packed full with bunk beds.

The Fast Train to Shanghai

thebeijinger — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:00:14 +0800

Update: Today's Beijing News includes an article with more details on the new 'D' trains. They'll begin service on Dec 21 and will also be available on the Beijing-Hangzhou line - cutting the time needed to get to the home of the West Lake to 11 hours and 20 min. Keep reading below for the full schedule. The price remains an unconfirmed "over RMB 500."

No Limit: Beijing Refuses to Cap Car Numbers

thebeijinger — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:00:20 +0800

Rumors that Beijing was going to introduce a cap on car registration or sales have been quashed with an announcement on Wednesday that the city government would do no such thing. Despite the director of Beijing's Transport Department, Liu Xiaoming revealing that the government was seriously considering putting a limit on the number of vehicle registrations at a recent high-level transport conference, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform (BMCDR) unequivocally announced at a press conference on Wednesday that no such measures would be introduced. The deputy head and spokesman of the commission justified the decision not to impose a limit on the grounds of a need to maintain the long-term development of the country's auto industry and sustain general economic growth.

Beijing's Octopus: The Things You Can Do with an Yikatong

thebeijinger — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:00:47 +0800

The Beijing Municipal Administration and Communications Card or Yikatong is in need of a nice catchy English name. Beijingologist David Feng's Beijing Super Pass is a good first attempt, but it doesn't quite have the same ring to it as Hong Kong's Octopus or London's Oyster. Despite the lack of a nifty moniker, the handy little card has proved popular with Beijngers and visitors to the city since it became possible to ride on most of Beijing's public transport in 2006 by simply swiping the card. Yikatong became even more popular when in January 2007 card users were given discounts on the city's public buses (it now costs a minimum of 4 mao to ride if you swipe but 1 kuai if you're paying cash) and when paper tickets were done away with on all of the capital's subway lines. Prior to the Olympics, despite the occasional controversy, close to 20,000,000 cards had been sold.

Signology: Hutong Signs

thebeijinger — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:00:39 +0800

One of the lasting legacies of the Olympics is the number of (Chinglish free) bilingual signs that now appear throughout the city. While not quite Hong Kong, it's now a lot easier for people who can't read Chinese characters to do everything from take a bus, order a meal, find a public toilet, navigate the city's streets and delve into the capital's imperial past.

The New Beijing: CBD II, Planes, Trains and a New Xidan

thebeijinger — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:00:29 +0800

The Beijing Tourism Administration recently launched a promotional campaign to lure more Hong Kong visitors to the capital. Not surprisingly, the campaign centers on the concept of the post-Olympic city being a “New Beijing” and focuses on three areas: New Beijing Landmarks, a New Beijing Culture and a New Beijing Lifestyle. The first refers to the draw of architectural wonders such as the T3 terminal, Olympic venues like the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube, the National Grand Theatre and the new CCTV headquarters. A New Beijing culture refers to the development of the 798 Dashanzi Art District, Nanluogu Xiang and Houhai as areas that the Beijing government is hoping to foster as representative of a new hip, arty and cool Beijing. The concept also encompasses new shopping areas such as the new Qianmen Dajie and a New Sanlitun. A New Beijing Life stresses the quality and variety of dining, nightlife and shopping options in the capital.

Headlines in both the local and international media over the past few days have offered a few clues as to how this new Beijing is expanding. Below we take a look at some of the recent announcements about the changing face of the city:

On the Road: Petrol Prices Up, Personalized Plates and Cops on Electric Bikes

thebeijinger — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:00:08 +0800

Petrol Prices Up
At midnight last night the price of the regular #93 fuel went up by 8% about 3%. It now sells for RMB 6.37 a liter and a liter of #97 will set you back RMB 6.78. The price hike was announced by the Beijing National Development and Reform Commission, who put it down to the higher cost of producing the superior quality Euro IV standard gasoline which is now required to be used in all of Beijing’s vehicles. This measure was adopted in March this year to help the city achieve its air quality goals. The Beijng News quotes energy experts as saying that the price adjustment will not be nationwide at present. This is the first price rise since petrol went up 16% in June this year.

Beyond Odds and Evens: Beijing’s New Plan to Reduce the Number of Cars

thebeijinger — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:57:03 +0800

The Beijing Municipal Government has announced a series of post-Olympics car restrictions that will take effect next month. According to the English-language report, under the new rules, 30 percent of government vehicles will be taken off the road and as of Oct 11, the remaining 70 percent of government vehicles, along with corporate and private cars, will be banned from driving one day during the five-day-working week. Cars ending with either a one or a six will be banned on Mondays; those ending with a two or a seven will be banned on Tuesdays, and so on.

The article goes on to clarify that:

Here to Stay: Subway Security Measures Extended Indefinitely

thebeijinger — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:00:39 +0800

Beijing is now the only city in the world carrying out passenger security checks along the entire length of its subway system. Originally the security measures were only intended as a safety precaution for the Olympic Games and were scheduled to expire on Sep 20. However, the city's Public Security Bureau, citing the success of the security checks during the Olympic period - around 18,700 dangerous articles were discovered and 32 people were detained - have decided that the measures should remain permanently.