Shanghai urban infrastructure planners have approved a project to build up to 15 transport hubs that will integrate Metro lines, bus terminals and underground parking lots for scooters.

When construction will start is still under discussion but the authority said the program would only take two to three years to complete.

The new transport hubs will all be located in busy traffic and commercial areas such as the Jing'an Temple, People's Square, Xujiahui, Hongkou Stadium and Century Avenue.

Each hub will include a large underground parking lot for cyclists and scooter riders.

If possible, these parking areas will be directly connected by tunnels to the Metro stations.

Plans for the Jing'an Temple hub involve the area around Changde and Yuyuan roads.

At least three bus lines will have terminuses at the hub, each of them no less than 240 square meters to accommodate bus control offices and boarding zones.

They would most likely be for the busy routes 21, 37 and 40.

A two-wheeler parking lot for at least 2,200 vehicles, a taxi flag-down area and a public toilet will also be built at each hub.

(Shanghai Daily January 17, 2008)