CHINA WATCH To hold a ‘green’ Olympics, as Beijing promised, the government has been encouraging people to take public transport instead of private cars.

There’ve been a few initiatives – from no car day to 60 percent discounts on bus tickets. But now we’ve got the cheaper subway ticket.

Greenbang China took the subway last weekend, only to find the price of subway tickets has dropped from 3 yuan ($0.4) to 2 yuan ($0.27) – no matter how long the journey. And a new north-south route opened on October 7 and three other new subway lines will be running next year.

Chinadaily says:

Liu Qi, Party secretary for the capital, vowed that the city will keep fares low and provide a more comfortable and convenient passenger experience.
The new line has had an immediate positive effect. The number of subway passengers has increased by 46 percent since it opened, Mayor Wang Qishan revealed during the discussion.

Public transport not only reduces road congestion but could also improve air quality.
“Beefing up efforts to fight air pollution is not only for the sake of the Olympics, but also to make Beijing more suitable for living,” Liu said.

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