On July 24, four government departments including the Ministry of Transport jointly released the "15th Five-Year Plan for Integrated Transport Service Development." The plan sets a clear goal for 2030: to establish a modern comprehensive transport service system. It aims to build a multi-level, high-quality, and user-friendly public travel service system, accelerate the development of a fully integrated, resilient freight logistics service network, and steadily advance efforts to reduce costs and improve efficiency in transport and logistics. The plan also targets a significant increase in the integration of cross-regional, cross-modal, and cross-sector transport services, an orderly expansion of digital and intelligent application scenarios, a substantial improvement in transport safety, and enhanced governance effectiveness. Ultimately, it seeks to boost public satisfaction with travel services and the quality of freight services, strengthening the system's ability to support a modernized economy and the development of a robust transportation network.
The plan outlines 13 key performance indicators, with the reduction rate of fatal road transport accidents per 10,000 vehicles being a binding target, while the rest are predictive indicators. A primary focus is placed on "promoting the coordinated and integrated development of comprehensive transport," which includes six key tasks: upgrading joint passenger transport services, fostering integrated transport and tourism development, and enhancing the high-quality growth of minibus and microbus rental services.
Regarding the improvement of rental services, the plan explicitly calls for achieving full coverage of rental service points at civil aviation airports and high-speed rail stations within passenger transport hubs. It also aims to improve network coverage in key city clusters and at 5A-level tourist attractions. Initiatives include promoting free one-way car rental services and integrating rental services with tourism products, such as along scenic self-driving routes. The plan encourages leading enterprises to demonstrate best practices and supports the规模化, networked, and chain-based operation of minibus and microbus rental companies.
This follows a similar action plan released in early June by ten departments, including the Ministry of Transport, which set a goal for 2028 to establish a well-distributed, efficient, and safe rental network. That plan also targeted coverage at airports and high-speed rail stations, free or low-cost one-way rentals on popular routes, the widespread adoption of the "high-speed rail/flight + car rental" model, and the comprehensive promotion of digital services. Gao Bo, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Transport's Transport Service Department, noted that the sector is experiencing rapid growth, driven by young consumers born in the 1990s and 2000s, and that collaboration between rental companies, auto manufacturers, and financial institutions is increasing. However, he acknowledged ongoing challenges such as insufficient network coverage in some areas, low service convenience, and a need for better market regulation, requiring stronger policy support.
At a press conference on July 21, Vice Minister of Transport Xu Chengguang confirmed that the ministry would accelerate the deployment of rental service points at airports and high-speed rail stations, offering free or low-cost one-way rentals to allow travelers to rent a car immediately upon arrival. In a dedicated section of the plan, it is explicitly stated that by 2030, rental services will be fully available at all eligible civil aviation airports with an annual passenger throughput of over 1 million people and at second-class or higher high-speed rail stations.
In terms of digital and intelligent development, the plan proposes five tasks, including promoting smart travel services, vigorously developing smart logistics, advancing AI-driven industry governance, and safely and orderly promoting the application of autonomous driving technology. For smart travel services, the plan suggests developing "urban traffic brains" tailored to local conditions and implementing Mobility as a Service (MaaS) to integrate information, route planning, and payments for various transport modes, creating a one-stop travel service system. It also advocates for contactless payment, smart security checks, and intelligent guidance, as well as enhanced real-time traffic information, emergency response, and parking/charging station data for digital transport corridors.
Commenting on the impact of these digital services, economist Pan Helin stated that they offer a more convenient travel experience, improve efficiency, simplify decision-making, and streamline processes. He noted that they also enable faster demand response in urban traffic systems, helping to adapt to new travel methods. For example, he said, they could help remove obstacles for autonomous driving.
Regarding the safe and orderly promotion of autonomous driving, the plan supports exploring applications in specific areas like logistics and express delivery, provided safety is ensured. It includes a major innovation project for intelligent driving in heavy truck platooning, exploring unmanned and intelligent transport of goods on specific routes and at specific times. Pan Helin suggested that applying autonomous driving in these areas would significantly boost logistics efficiency and safety. He pointed out that many搬运 robots are already active in factories and logistics parks, and that operating autonomous vehicles in closed environments is safer. As more autonomous logistics routes are opened, these applications could substantially reduce costs and improve efficiency in the logistics industry, while also providing valuable experience for the broader future adoption of autonomous driving.
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