Shanghai plans to upgrade 10,000 taxis and increase its Metro lines to improve the city's public transport in time for the 2010 World Expo.

As many as 2,700 trains will run along a Metro network spanning 400 kilometers and serve 500,000 commuters an hour during peak periods, according to the traffic authority.

In addition, more taxis will benefit from the installation of global positioning systems, and the city's taxi dispatch center will coordinate 30,000 cabs when the Expo opens its doors.

A troop of 25,000 veteran taxi drivers will offer improved services, while the number of star cabs signifying experienced cabbies will reach 8,000, the Shanghai Urban Transport Management Bureau said.

The city will also speed construction of rapid transit facilities for shuttle buses to promote increased passenger flow. Around 110 kilometers of bus-only lanes will be set up in the downtown by 2010.

Traffic authorities will upgrade city buses to more advanced models, while more cameras will be installed on buses operating in downtown areas.

Every bus will be equipped with one black box and two cameras, which will cover every corner of the vehicle. The black boxes will be similar to those on airplanes and record data that will be useful in accident investigations.

The bureau has already installed cameras on about 1,600 buses on 68 routes around Shanghai Stadium to prepare for Olympic soccer events in the city. Bureau officials said that the bus-camera initiative will improve their ability to respond to emergencies.

The city will also renovate 3,400 of its bus stops and 700 taxi stations with advanced electronic facilities, such as electronic parking signs. Sixty integrated traffic hubs around the city will offer public parking services by 2010.

(Shanghai Daily August 9, 2008)