How to Ride the Bus in Shanghai

How to Ride the Bus in Shanghai

Many expats don’t take public transportation, and even those that regularly take the subway won’t step foot on the bus. There are good reasons to avoid the bus, and the truth is, it’s difficult to navigate if you don’t speak Chinese and aren’t familiar with any of the city’s hundreds of bus routes. That said, my girlfriend speaks very little Chinese and doesn’t read any characters and takes the bus all the time – it takes a bit of prior research, but once you’re familiar with a couple of routes you can traverse Shanghai quickly and cheaply.

Research isn’t necessarily easy though. Most English language maps don’t have bus routes on them and even the Chinese bus maps aren’t very useful unless you have some prior knowledge of the routes and can dig through the mass of tightly printed bus information on the back. There’re just far too many routes to fit on the map. If you read Chinese you can purchase a bus guide from a bookshop, information centre, or newspaper stand. They should cost around 7 RMB and contain a wealth of bus information – every route by number, and an alphabetical list of every stop with all the buses that stop there so you can plan your transfers. For those who take the bus frequently, it’s an invaluable tool. Ask for the Shàngh?i gōngjiāo chéngchē yī b?n tōng (上海公交乘车一本通).

Chinese readers in any Chinese city can search out bus routes on the Chinese Google Maps and local sites like Mapbar and Mapabc. English speakers can also use this very useful English translation of the Shanghai bus routes which gives a full rundown of every bus route and the names of every stop.

One of the bigger problems when taking a bus route for the first time is knowing when to get on and off. When you get to a bus stop, you’ll see a series of signs advertising which buses stop there. The largest number you see is the number of the bus (we’ll talk about the significance of these numbers a bit later). The name of that stop will be written in both characters and pinyin, and in smaller writing you’ll see the name of the next stop, also in characters and pinyin, alongside the characters 下站 (xià zhàn) meaning ‘next stop’. The name of the bus route’s last stop isn’t usually in pinyin, but look for the characters 开往 (kāi w?ng) meaning ‘terminus’. The sign will also show the time of the first and last bus from that stop, the price of the fare, and the direction of the route. If you’re worried about finding the right bus, write down the characters of the place you want to go to (or have someone write them for you) and compare it to the signs at the bus stop.

Once you’re on the bus, there are several ways of making sure you get off at the right stop. Newer buses have scrolling LEDs at the front with the next stop in pinyin or characters. However, if you get on one which doesn’t, the best thing is either to keep an eye on the streets and landmarks you’re passing, or ask for help. If you’re lucky enough to be sitting or standing beside a friendly sort, they’ll hopefully be able to guide you. If not, ask for the ticket taker’s help. Show them your paper or just say the following phrase, then be sure to not drift too far out of their field of vision:

I want to go to (name of destination). Please tell me when we are almost there =
我想去(name of destination) 快到那个站时请提醒我
Wǒ xiǎng qù (name of destination) kuài dào nà ge zhàn shí qǐng tí xǐng wǒ

Another problem for first-time bus takers is knowing how to pay, and what the fares are. If you take a non-air conditioned bus, the flat fare is either 1 RMB or 1.8 RMB depending on the route. For air conditioning buses, the fare is 2 RMB, or 1 RMB for children. Usually, if there is no conductor, the fare will be a flat rate, otherwise it will be distanced based. In this case, tell the conductor where you want to go, or show them on a map or piece of paper, and they will tell you how much you need to pay. There is usually a lot of shouting involved but don’t let it get to you, it’s just how it’s done, and most ticket takers are very helpful. Sometimes fellow passengers will help mediate.

As for the various lines, Shanghai has a staggering 1000. Don’t let this put you off. As long as you know where you’re going to and coming from, things aren’t as confusing as they look. Basically, each set has a different purpose. Bus lines with numbers under 200 are conventional routes (常规线 or cháng guī xiàn), and numbers between 200 and 299 are special rush hour buses. Buses numbered 300 to 399 are night routes, saviours of many an après-midnight reveller. Routes 400 to 499 cross the river, and 600 to 699 are Pudong special lines covering airport lines, tunnels, and bridges. Puxi’s special lines are numbered 800 to 999. On both sides of the river, routes numbered 700 to 799 serve suburban and outer-lying areas. Buses 500 to 599 are special route connectors (专线车or zhuān xiàn chē).

 

The biggest complaint foreigners have about the buses is that they’re very crowded. This is absolutely true. During rush hour the buses make a sardine can feel spacious and sometimes the smells aren’t much better. Get used to being elbowed in the kidneys.

Getting on the bus is often a full-contact experience. Some bus stops feature older volunteers who marshal everyone into neat lines with their red flags, but most of the time it’s a free for all. Working on your positioning, keep your legs wide to prevent people sneaking around you and keep your center of gravity low.

When I first landed in China, I was sensitive about being a good cultural ambassador. I’m a reasonably tall white male, and I didn’t want to start any international incidents or give foreigners a bad name by jumping in line. On one of my first bus rides, I was getting out of the bus opposite my university. I was getting off quickly, but an old lady who didn’t even come up to my nipples grabbed the door railing, got one foot up on the step, and elbowed me in the back of the kneecap causing my leg to buckle. I tumbled out of the bus and nearly pancaked on the pavement. Since then, I’ve learned to imagine there is no one around me at all and it makes the whole process much easier.

Learning how to ride the bus in Shanghai takes time and effort, and can be frustrating at times, but it’s worth it. It’s often the quickest and most efficient means of transportation, and it’s certainly the cheapest. The buses come very regularly and crisscross the entire city. And you can see things you wouldn’t in the subway and meet people you wouldn’t in a taxi. Go for it.

Other resources you might find useful include: Catch Your Bus , A Shanghai Bus System Tutorial (for non-Chinese-speakers), and the route planner at ICExpat.

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