BUS Route 71, the busiest city bus line is about to get busier.
According to the Shanghai Jiushi Bus Group, more than 50,000 people take the bus daily, most of them are tourists. Bus Route 71 goes around the Bund and the Shenkun Road transport hub near Hongqiao International Airport.
The bus company plans to set up a special branch line on Route 71 in time for the National Exhibition and Convention Center, where the exhibition will be held. The branch line will drop and pick up passengers in the center’s parking lot. Moreover, an information desk will also be set up to provide directions to visitors.
Bus 71 will provide a quick ride to the visitors who would want to see the Bund. The 17.5 kilometer road takes about a little over an hour travel time. Driver Fang Jin said the branch line will add about 2 extra kilometers.
Despite being a bus line with its own dedicated lane, running mostly in an exclusive lane under the Yan’an Elevated Road, basically unbothered by traffic jams and accidents, Bus 71 has its share of difficulties.
Majority of the 71 vehicles are extra long buses. Hence, there is considerably more blind spots for the drivers. Generally, a single trip would last to about 65 minutes. And if it happens that a single trip isn’t finished on time, all the operation of the whole bus network becomes affected.
One of the biggest considerations were the 65 traffic lights and 58 crossroads on the route, making that timeline tricky.
There is also a brief tourist guide complied for visitors who will be be lining up in the buses during the expo. The 100-page booklet reveals major tourist attractions along the route, which can be reached on foot, as well as information about other public transport.
The booklet was more than four months in the making, All the information about sightseeing spots mentioned were detailed with the approximate travel time spent to get to it.
One of the most arterial roads crossing the city from east to west is the Yan’an Elevated Road. Through Bus 71, one can not only access the Bund and Yuyuan Garden but also many more places of interest.