A policeman imposes penalties on a vehicle that illegally occupies the bus-priority lane. (Photo provided by the police)

CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- There are two new bus-priority lanes in Chongqing's main urban areas: Xiaolongkan to Yangjiaping and Chongqingxi Railway Station to Fengtian Road. The reporter deliberately took Bus 404 and experienced the bus-priority lane from Xiaolongkan to Yangjiaping. The whole journey took 28 minutes, saving 15 minutes compared with the same period when the lane is not implemented.

The bus-priority lane from Xiaolongkan to Yangjiaping starts from Xiaolongkan on Shixiao Road, via Shiqiaopu, Chenjiaping, Shiyang Road and Shipingqiao Roundabout and ends at the Yangjiaping Roundabout. The one-way length is 8.2 kilometers. Except for the road widening project on the section from Shipingqiao Roundabout to Yangjiaping Roundabout, the remaining roads are of two-way six lanes and above. There are 30 bus stops, 45 bus lines, and 1,156 bus vehicles along the route.

According to the traffic police, many merchants or residents along the route may not know that the bus-priority lane is activated and still park their vehicles by the road for convenience. From now on, the traffic police will increase publicity efforts, strengthen patrols along the route, increase law enforcement on behavior illegally occupying bus lanes, and effectively guarantee the priority of public transport vehicles.

To ensure the operation of the bus-priority lane and improve the road traffic efficiency, the Public Security Bureau Traffic Management Department has optimized the traffic along the lane and increased the number of lanes from 3 to 4 for part of Shixiao Road and the intersections. A multi-lane reentry control system is set up at Shixiao Road Interchange to standardize the traffic order and traffic efficiency in the traffic confluence nodes. In order to improve the carrying capacity and improve passengers' comfort, the Bus Group will also put 38 one-step buses in use for the line. (Translated by Yang Lifu, Fathom Language Limited)