Jul 31 2008
Beijing Bus
Taking the bus itself is something foreign travellers should experience in Beijing. Most of buses usually are very crowded, especially during the rush hours. While the buses are clean and air-conditioned and in most of the cases, you still won’t feel very comfortable standing on a crowded bus for hours due to the traffic congestion.
Anyway, Beijingers still use the bus as the most economical and convenient public transition system for their daily commute. Five bus companies operate about 1,000 bus routes in Beijing. One single way bus ticket only costs 1 RMB for Beijing City routes. Ticket price to the suburban area depends on travel distance. If you use IC card (Beijing Bus Pass) to pay for the fare, you will receive a 60% discount. This IC card is also good for subway rides. It’s sold at every subway station. A 20 Yuan initially deposit is requested for the card after which credits for the card can be purchased. Please prepare changes before get on the bus if you do not have an IC card, because the it might not have a conductor. The distance between two bus stops is usually less than 1.5km for the urban routes.
The IC Card for Bus, Light Rail and Subway
A typical Beijing bus
Bus during rush hours
Inside the bus
Bus Stop
