THE names of 10 bus routes outside the special economic zone (SEZ) that failed a service quality inspection had been made public, Friday’s Daily Sunshine reported.

The city’s traffic authority had ordered an overhaul of the 10 bus routes, including three in Bao’an District, four in Longgang District and three that connect the areas inside and outside the SEZ, after an inspection of 292 bus routes from March 26 to 28. A total of 2,271 buses, or one-third of all buses operating on the 292 routes, were checked. The names of 10 bus routes that received the highest marks were also announced at a meeting held Thursday.

Among the inferior services provided on the bus routes were stopping outside bus stops, failing to announce bus stops and wear uniforms. Traffic officials blamed subcontracting of some of the bus routes for the problems citing improper management, inappropriate operation and an inadequate number of bus stops.

To improve public transport outside the SEZ, the city government will introduce a franchise system and speed up integrating the public transport resources there, officials with the municipal traffic police bureau said at Thursday’s meeting.

As some buses on a number of routes operating on expressways were not up to standard, 15 of 32 bus routes had been removed from expressways, traffic officials said.

(SD News)