Commuters still favor subway

Look at what commuters say about the subway fare raise:

"Despite the fare hike, the metro remains a better choice compared with a bus which is more than often unpunctual due to congested roads," said Zeng Yuanpeng, who graduated from a university in Northeast China and now works in Beijing with a monthly salary of 3,000 to 4,000 yuan. Although sensitive to the fare increase, he continues to be a staunch supporter of the subway.

"Subway is the destiny of Beijing residents. It is still the most trustworthy means of transport in the city, given the traffic jams and the car restrictions above ground," said Wang Dawei, who works at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. He does not take subway at peak hours but uses the subway a lot for travelling around the city.

"I don't travel to work by bus, as I would have to change buses five times between my home and the office. I only take the bus if I'm going a short distance at times when there aren't any traffic jams," says the 38-year-old German commuter Peter Anders. His daily commute involves traveling halfway across Beijing and back. (Full story)