"Buses should be free to ride"

Public buses should be free to ride, said a representative at the Sichuan Provincial People's Congress yesterday.

"Implementing free public buses within the city will reduce basic operation costs," said representative Zhai Feng. Zhai argued that free city buses would reduce traffic congestion as well as air and noise pollution. Currently, says Zhai, bus trips account for only 20 percent of trips made in Chengdu.

Zhai suggested a step-by-step implementation of a free-bus scheme, starting with central and commercial areas as well as schools and workplaces. The system would be paid for by government funding, corporate sponsors, and advertising.