Overcrowding in Beijing's Subways (Essay Sample)

Overcrowding in Beijing's Subways Student’s Name Course Professor’s Name Major Date Revisiting the Overcrowding Menace in Beijing's Subways Introduction In early November 2014 when a single mother from Hebei province was crushed to death in Beijing as she struggled to board an overcrowded subway train, subway officials understood that the problem of overcrowding in the city's subways had rapidly become a crisis and that urgent intervention was needed to address it (Los Angeles Times Staff, 2015). On this specific day of this tragic occurrence, Beijing subways had welcomed more than 9 million passengers who travelled to various destinations in the city in light of the government having diverted half of the city's automobiles off the road to allow dignitaries from various parts of the region to get to the Asia-Pacific summit held on the same day (Los Angeles Times Staff, 2015). One would expect that the subway situation has improved to date. However, almost a decade later in 2023, the problem of overcrowding continues to scourge the city's subways. It is unfortunate that the subway that was introduced, in part, to ease congestion on the roads by diverting people from the roads is now inconvenienced by the same problem it was intended to solve. Beijing's Subway System Beijing is no doubt one of the cities that has the highest dependence on subway transport. This is observed in the large portion of the city that is connected by the subway and how the mileage of the subway system continues to increase over time. In 2007, the subway system covered only 87 miles (Los Angeles Times Staff, 2015). Today, the number of subway lines has increased to 23 and the mileage increased sixfold to reach 501 miles (Travel China Guide.com, n.d.). Beijing is also documented as the first city in the country to operate a subway with the initial line opening in 1971. If anything, the exponential increase in the number of subway lines as well as the mileage of the subway system in the city suggests a burgeoning demand for subway services in the city. While this progress might be celebrated as a commendable step towards improving the efficiency of the transport system in the city, the early November tragic event and multiple other instances along the city's subway lines may reveal that this progress, although seemingly commendable, is still not at par with the city’s demand for subway services leading to overcrowding. Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1 Passengers waiting for a subway in Beijing (Source:CCTV.com) Causes of Overcrowding in Beijing Subways Affordability The primary reason that contributes to the overcrowding in the city's subways is that the subways provide a cheaper form of transport as compared to other alternatives of public transport. To illustrate, travelling end to end across Beijing i.e beginning from the most south-western suburbs in Suzhuang all the way to north-eastern parts in such regions as Fengbo may take an average of three hours but will only cost you 2 yuan (Branigan, 2014). To further contextualize how prices factor in the development of crowds in subways, a look at the subway officials’ response to the tragic event in November 2014 may be insightful. The officials announced that they would raise subway fares in the hopes that this would “help divert more passengers away from the subway to the buses” (Los Angeles Times Staff, 2015). The statement clearly implies that the officials understand that the primary contributor to the overcrowding menace in the city's subway is that the subway strikes residents and visitors as the cheaper option to get to their workplaces or other destinations. It should be noted that the 2 yuan is the flat rate for all passengers who commute using the subway, regardless of the distance they travel (Patience, 2023). Compared with buses, all of the 1332 bus routes are charged by distance (Patience, 2023). Commuters who travel by bus for 10 km or below pay CNY 2. However, for commuters who travel further, an additional 1 yuan is added to every of the 5km covered (MFA.gov, 2018). The price and distance comparison observed in subway fares is considered a big bargain for people who live in the suburbs and intend to get to the city on a fair budget. Punctuality of the subway The second most important contributor to the overcrowding in the city’s subways is that the subway has proven to be the fastest mode of public transport. As mentioned earlier, the subway connects suburbs to the city implying that most of the city’s population lives in the suburbs and primarily travels to the city to work. The subway, with its fast speed, ensures that even people who stay in far-flung suburbs, get to work early enough. This is because, unlike buses, the subway is not affected by traffic congestion. A testimonial by one of the people who work in the city confirms this claim. Zhang Jian, a stockbroker who works in the CBD prefers to stay in far-flung suburbs than live close to work because he does not see the difference between living close to his job and also finds it cheaper to rent far away from the business district (Los Angeles Times Staff, 2015). Even after the fare was increased three-fold, Zhang’s opinion remains steadfast, insisting that; “Taking the bus can’t guarantee I get to work on time because of traffic congestion on the road, so I just need to face the higher subway fare and deal with it.” (Jian, Commuter) The same thoughts prevail among other workers such as Li Yue who works as an accounts manager for a PR firm in the city (Patience, 2023). In light of the increase in subway fares, Yue says that; “For me it's unavoidable. I could take the bus but the subway's way more efficient. But if it's more expensive maybe it will be less crowded - that would be good." (Yue, commuter) Zhang’s and Li Yue’s cases reveal that most of the overpopulation prefer the subway because of its punctuality and speed. High population A subsidiary cause of overcrowding in the city's subways is the high population growth rate in the city. A recent review of the largest cities in the world by population placed Beijing in the ninth position on this list. According to the ranking, at least 19 million people from within the country and abroad live in the city (Cutmore, 2023). The high population is because the city is not only the second largest in the country but also the capital city of the People's Republic of China. As is typical of capital cities, Beijing by its own right, becomes an important destination for tourists, students, business people, investors, workers, and other groups of people. With the subway having emerged as the fastest and cheapest form of public transport, overcrowding in subway stations has become inevitable. This can be observed in the high number of people who use the subways in the city every day. According to recent estimates, at least 10 million people commute using the subway in Beijing every day, making the city's subway the most active in the country (Yuan. 2018). This implies that more than 50% of the population uses the city's subway system. This way, we are guided to infer that the incidence of overcrowding in the city's subways is related to the high population in the city. Effects of overcrowding The high population growth rate in Beijing has more implications for the city's...