By Huang Jingjing
Transport authorities in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, have scrapped a policy allowing residents free public transportation after passenger numbers surged to dangerous levels since the initiative was implemented Monday.
The authorities said the decision came from security concerns.
"The public transportation system has seen a rapid growth in passenger numbers since the measure was implemented November 1, reaching 17.54 million per day. The subway had 7.78 million passengers every day, double the previous numbers," a notice on the government's official website said. "This has resulted not only in safety risks, but has also affected quality of service and citizens' ability to travel efficiently."
Authorities will instead give 150 yuan ($22) in travel subsidies to each household.
As the host of the Asian Games, which opens Friday, Guangzhou began implementing 10 policies under the theme of "Giving Back to Citizens" in September, which included making public transportation free for its residents.
"It is good news for the subway and buses. They can now stop suffering," Huang Zenan, 30, a consultant for food enterprises in Guangzhou, told the Global Times.
Huang took the subway once last week, and said he was shocked by the crowds. "The trains are just like sardine cans. I was afraid they would explode," he said.
Zhu Lijia, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance, told the Global Times that local authorities had not been cautious enough when formulating the policies.
"The Guangzhou authorities did it out of good intentions, but the policy is not plausible," he said.
Other initiatives put forward by the authorities to promote the games have also drawn criticism.
According to Singapore-based Lianhe Zaobao, green groups and Internet users were outraged by local government demands that lighting facilities near the venue of the Games' opening ceremony be kept on from 5:40 pm to 11 pm on the opening day.
On the rehearsal held Saturday, each household received 30 yuan ($4.5) if they kept their lights on, the Guangzhou-based Southern Metropolis Daily reported Sunday.
"Let's celebrate the Asian Games. Turn off all the lights to hold a ceremony that's green!" the paper quoted an online commenter as saying. A 34-year-old woman surnamed Zeng told the paper that she would join the protest to support energy saving and demonstrate her dissatisfaction with the authorities.
Zhu said that many policymakers did not understand the demands of the public.
