The bus and electric trolley routes extend in every direction in Beijing, making it very convenient method of transportation. Passengers can also enjoy the view as they travel. There are a large amount of routes with large buses, special routes or air conditioned buses. There are nearly 700 bus and trolleybus routes in Beijing, including three bus rapid transit routes. All public transport can be accessed with the Yikatong card, which uses radio frequencies to be scanned at subway stations and on public transit buses. In May 2010, Beijing's municipal government announced plans to add 21 new subway lines by the year 2020. The plan calls for 30 subway lines and 450 stations in Beijing, reaching 1,050 kilometers in distance. When implemented, residents within the Fourth Ring Road will be able walk to a station in 10 to 15 minutes. The suburbs will be connected by new radial lines.

 

Public city buses run from 5:30 am till 11:00 pm daily. Taking buses in Beijing is really inexpensive (ranging from RMB 1 to RMB 2), but they are less comfortable and run slower than taxis or subways. The flat rate for an electric car and ordinary public car is RMB 1. Buses equipped with air-conditioning or of special line are charged according to the distance.

 

One of the problems to get around by bus is the rush hours. Because of the working time, try to avoid taking the bus from 6:30am to 9:00 am and from 5:00 pm to 7:00pm. Traffic jams and overcrowding will spoil your good mood for the whole day.

 

More bus driver's assistants are beginning to offer stop's name in English but they don't know much more English beyond that. Writing down some commonly used Chinese sentences is therefore quite helpful. Minibuses, operating from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, charge the flat rate of RMB 2 to guarantee a seat. They are faster and more comfortable. In crowded settings, be careful of your belongings.

 

If you would like to take a public bus to the attractions at the suburban areas, you have to pay a little more. Of course, taking a public bus to visit the Great Wall or other suburban attractions can be the cheapest way of travelling. For all the public buses coming to the suburban attractions, their bus plaque starts with"9"! Please find below the main "9" Line Public Buses for the suburban areas:

 

Beijing Public Transport Holdings, Ltd. (BPT) is a large state-owned enterprise operating mainly the ground passenger transportation. As of the end of 2009, BPT has a fleet of 27963operating vehicles of various kinds, plying 882 bus routes with an annual mileage and passenger trips topping 1.862 billion km and 50.3 hundred million respectively. In view of organizational structure, BPT consists of 25 subordinate units, namely 14 branch companies, 9 share-holding subsidiaries and 2 affiliated institutions, with a staff strength of 116,158 people.  Engaging mainly in passenger transportation, BPT is a large-scale conglomerate with diversified investment in various economic sectors, which include group passenger transportation, vehicle service, car-rental, bus advertising, material procurement and sales, communication, tourism, restaurants, trading,

 

In tandem with the needs of the township development and the travelling demand of the passengers, BPT strives with the principle of "Facilitating Travel, Improving Service" to enhance the integrative management level of the urban public transport, focusing on operation, safety and service. Continuously adjusting its operational and fleet structures, planning bus route layout and opening new routes, BPT has established a public transport system with buses and trolley buses as its main fleet, comprising special-line buses, air-conditioned buses, double-decker buses, long-distance coaches, taxicabs and minibuses. With its sight fixated on the new objections in the new century, BPT plays a towering role in the development of urban public transportation through continuous innovation and high aspirations.

 

Full maps of the system are available only in Chinese. The Beijing Public Transport Co. website has information in English, but both the Chinese version and English Versions have a very helpful routing service with an interactive map. You can input your starting point and your ending point and see all the bus routes that will get you from A to B, look up a bus route by number, or input a place name and see all the routes that go stop there.

 

Long-distance buses from areas as far as Shanghai and the Mongolian border connect to Beijing. You can reach areas as far as Harbin or Xi'an on a single bus ride. Beijing has over 20 long distance bus stations, but what you need to do is go to the bus station located on the edge of the city in the direction you want to travel