CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- Recently, a video named "How small can the bus in Chongqing be?" went viral online. The video shooter said that the route of Bus No. 3200 covered five turns and six slopes, which provides a pleasant and amazing travel experience in the unique city of mountains for passengers.

The reporter of Upstream News learned from Western Public Transport No.5 Company of Chongqing City Transportation Development & Investment Group that they have offered 7-seat Buses No.3200 and Buses No.3201 Road and 12-seat Buses No.3209 and No.3208 for four small lanes, which run on the potholed and bumpy roads with many slopes.

The video shooter, Ms. Lin, is a tourist coming from Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. On October 14, she took Bus No.3200 to Yangtze River 2nd Road from Chongqing Corporation Avenue and said, “the bus is as high as me. It’s small, lovely and very charming!” The bus can only seat one driver and six passengers, she added.

A short trip of just a few kilometers starting from Chongqing Corporation Avenue to Yangtze River 2nd Road provided Ms. Lin with a unique bus riding experience different from that on level ground. “It’s different from the buses running on level ground, where the roads for driving are wide and straight. This mini bus can flexibly climb over slopes and run through lanes,” said Ms. Lin. Though the bus is small, it is well equipped. USB charging ports and other facilities are available on the bus.

From 2020, a number of public transport routes have been formally opened on the lanes in downtown Chongqing to seamlessly connect the main roads with backstreets.

According to the head of Western Public Transport No.5 Company of Chongqing City Transportation Development & Investment Group, both Buses No.3200 and No.3201 have to climb over slopes; the route of Bus No.3201 starting from Eling Park to Niujiaotuo Xinlongda, covers 11 stations and passes through many narrow road sections around Eling Park, TESTBED 2, Fotuguan Park, and the emergency center, providing a unique travel experience from that of the buses running on the main road.

She said the route of Bus No.3209 is a loop line, which starts from Jingyuan, Daxigou, bypasses the crossing of Zhongshan 4th Road, and finally goes back to Jingyuan; the whole route covers merely 4.8 kilometers and connects one rail station, four kindergartens, four elementary schools, one secondary school and two homes for the elderly.

She said, “half of the route covers narrow roads with sharp slopes, and the buses running on the route have to take five turns and climb six slopes." Many tourists came to take Bus No.3209 to experience the special terrain of Chongqing, and some of them posted videos online, which attracted numerous netizens from Chongqing and other cities. Despite the great popularity of mini buses, they do not change their original intention of launching these buses to make travel convenient for citizens.

It is learned that 24 land bus routes and over 90 lane buses have been launched to offer more than 2,600 daily trips for passengers in Nan’an, Yubei, Beibei, Yuzhong, Jiangbei, Jiulongpo, Dadukou, and other districts in the downtown area. (Translated by Cai Xinyu, Fathom Language Limited)