A hearing on the price of a subway ticket ended in Shanghai yesterday in a bid to find solutions to problems plaguing the country's largest, but most strained subway system.

During rush hours, subway cars are packed with 25 percent more people than their designed handling capacity, compounding maintenance and safety concerns.

Line 1, the city's busiest, alone carried more than 1.77 million passengers a day on average in April, up more than 30 percent year-on-year.

At the hearing, the operator of Shanghai's subways, Shentong Metro Co Ltd, proposed a more detailed price package to steer passenger flow and ease the overloaded lines.

The plan adheres to the 2-yuan (24 US cents) basic price but reduces the starting mileage from six kilometers to four. Moreover, the firm suggested more rungs in the progressive price ladder to make price more commensurate with distance.

The company also proposed an alternative plan to float prices during rush hours to limit passenger flow.

Twenty people attended the meeting including transport experts, passengers, representatives from the operator and related government officials and 10 citizens chosen at random.

A decision will be made on the proposals by the Shanghai Price Bureau after further deliberation, according to the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission.

"I don't believe the price hike will do anything to help ease the strain on the subway," said a young man at the bustling Xujiahui subway station.

"To people who cannot afford private cars or bear the jams on the ground, the subway is the only option even if they change the ticket prices."

A middle-aged woman beside him was more critical: "Look at all the advertising boards and stores and booths that are leased out in every station, how can the subway company still want to charge more from passengers?" she said.

(China Daily May 31, 2005)