THE long-awaited Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line from Xili in Nanshan District to Shenzhen Railway Station in Luohu will guarantee fast and punctual public transport for Shenzhen residents.

BRT buses will operate on exclusive lanes in the middle of the road, which will ensure buses do not get stuck in traffic jams. Except for ambulances and fire trucks, no other vehicles will be allowed to use BRT lanes. They will also be given priority at 20 traffic signals along the route and can also request an extended green or shorter red traffic signal.

Tickets will be sold at bus stops, instead of onboard the bus, and checked electronically. A rough calculation says it will take 0.9 seconds for a passenger to get on or off a BRT bus on average, compared to four seconds for a conventional bus.

A BRT bus will be 18-meter long with doors on the left. It will be able to carry a maximum of 180 people.

BRT buses are environmentally friendly, conforming strictly to Euro III standards.

The first BRT line will have five routes — from Xili to Shenzhen Railway Station; from Meilin Checkpoint to Laojie; from Meilin Checkpoint to Xili; from Meilin Checkpoint to Chegongmiao and from Chegongmiao to Xili.

There will be 15 pedestrian overpasses and 13 zebra crossings on the route for the safety of pedestrians. Each stop will have parking places for bicycles.

The BRT line will connect with Metro stations. BRT passengers will be able to transfer to Metro Line 1 at Chegongmiao, Laojie and Shenzhen Railway Station, Line 2 at Qiaocheng Road East and Jingtian Road North, Line 3 at Laojie, Line 4 at Caitiancun Housing Estate and Meilin Checkpoint and Line 5 at Xili.

Sixty-five, or 59 percent of, conventional bus routes on the first BRT line will be cut to ensure smoother traffic.

BRT fares have not been decided yet, according to a Shenzhen Evening News report yesterday, but Vice Mayor Zhang Siping promised the fare would not be high. A public hearing will be held soon.

The six-lane Sungang Road, built in 1984, will be renovated for the BRT project, the urban planning authorities have said. (Li Jing)