No more waiting for the bus in the bitter cold or adhering to rigid schedules and mandatory stops at every station—now, buses can be easily booked via a smartphone. This morning, a reporter successfully ordered a "ride-hailing bus" using a mobile app in Lujiazui, Pudong, with the service covering major office buildings, tourist attractions, and shopping centers within the area. On the same day, Pudong New District officially launched its pilot program for online bus booking in the Lujiazui area, marking the beginning of a new on-demand model for conventional bus services in Shanghai.
At the bus terminal near Lujiazui subway station, the reporter accessed the "Pujiaoxing" mini-program via WeChat (Alipay is also supported) to book a trip. Similar to ride-hailing apps like Didi, the platform automatically selects the nearest bus boarding point, allowing passengers to choose a convenient drop-off location within the service zone. At 9:47, the reporter placed an order for a route ending at the intersection of Shangcheng Road and Nanquan North Road; the system indicated that a successful ride required three passengers to share the trip. In just about a minute, by 9:48, the group booking was confirmed, and a text message was received: "Your ride-hailing bus order has been assigned a vehicle, from Lujiazui Ring Road Mingshang Road (near Super Brand Mall) to Shangcheng Road Nanquan North Road (870 bus stop near Heytea). License plate: Hu A65357D. Please arrange your time to board promptly. Thank you!" Meanwhile, passengers can navigate to the nearest boarding point on foot, with an estimated departure time of 10:03, making the booking experience exceptionally smooth.
Chen Wei, the business department manager at Pudong Yanggao Bus Company, explained that under normal circumstances, passengers can expect to board the bus within an average of 10 to 15 minutes after a successful booking. Additionally, passengers can check real-time vehicle details, including the license plate number, current location, and estimated time of arrival at the boarding point, through the mini-program. Upon boarding, they simply need to present a QR code for verification before settling in for the ride. The system automatically generates the optimal navigation route in the background and transmits it in real-time to the driver's terminal, enabling the driver to follow the designated path safely and efficiently, thereby freeing passengers from the constraints of rigid schedules and mandatory stops at every station.
The designated vehicle staging area for the Lujiazui ride-hailing bus pilot is located at the Dongchang Road Ferry Bus Terminal. Operating hours are from 8:00 to 14:00 on weekdays, with the route primarily covering roads within the Lujiazui area that are accessible to buses. Stops are made at existing bus stations along Lujiazui Financial City Bus Routes 1 and 2, connecting major office buildings, subway stations, key attractions, and large shopping centers within the financial district. To gauge public acceptance of this new service, the route underwent testing starting in September, transporting a total of 480 passengers to date. The primary users have been office workers within the financial district, with common travel purposes including dining out and attending to errands. Popular pick-up and drop-off points include Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, and Super Brand Mall. After three months of testing, improvements have been made to the mini-program's user interface, real-time vehicle tracking has been introduced, and arrival time predictions have been refined to account for traffic delays, reducing the margin of error to within two minutes. Passenger numbers are now steadily increasing.
A representative from the Pudong New District Construction and Transportation Commission highlighted that in recent years, traditional bus operations have faced challenges such as high empty-load rates during off-peak hours, leading to wasted capacity; unpredictable arrival times due to traffic conditions; and fixed routes, stops, and schedules that struggle to meet the dynamic and personalized travel needs of residents. In response, the district launched its first customized bus route, Pudong DZ1, in January of last year, alongside the introduction of the "Pujiaoxing" mini-program for online bookings. Over nearly two years of operation, this service has accommodated 450,000 passenger trips, reducing travel time by approximately 40% compared to conventional bus routes. Today, under the guidance of the district commission, Pudong Bus has developed the ride-hailing bus service in the Lujiazui area to provide citizens with even more convenient on-demand bus options.
The decision to pilot the program in Lujiazui was based on two main considerations. Firstly, the area experiences significant passenger flow during morning and evening rush hours, while off-peak hours see considerably lower demand. Therefore, a hybrid model was adopted: on-demand service during low-traffic periods supplemented by regular bus operations during peak hours, effectively matching the varying travel needs throughout the day. Secondly, Lujiazui is populated by a large number of young professionals and businesspeople, who, based on preliminary trial operations, have shown a relatively high acceptance rate for ride-hailing bus services. Looking ahead, the Pudong New District Construction and Transportation Commission will continue to monitor current operations, gather public feedback, and utilize operational data to continuously optimize the ride-hailing bus network. Plans are in place to expand the service to large residential communities, industrial parks, and rural areas with pronounced tidal flow patterns and low passenger numbers during off-peak hours, aiming to make "boarding as soon as you step out" and "travel as a service" the new normal, thereby enhancing the quality of public transportation for residents.
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