Operating Hours

There’s one main shortcoming to the metro system: it stops running relatively early in the night. Most lines begin their final run between 10pm and 10.30pm (some earlier), so anyone out later than 11pm will need to catch a cab home.

Taxi

Shanghai has around 45,000 taxis. Most are Volkswagen Santanas, though some are Volkswagen Passats, there’s a fleet of Mercedes-Benz taxis and a new 4000-strong fleet of spacious and comfortable white Volkswagen Touran taxis.

Shanghai’s taxis are reasonably cheap, hassle-free and easy to flag down outside rush hour (exept during summer storms). Taxis may not have rear seatbelts, in which case sit up front. On many taxis the rear left-hand door is locked, so board by the doors on the right side. Most taxi drivers (mostly male) are honest, though you should always go by the meter. The driver should push this down to start the meter when you get in the cab. Note that taxis can’t take the tunnel to Lujiazui in Pudong from 8am to 9.30am and 5pm to 6.30pm.

» Fares are metered. Flag fall is Y14 for the first 3km, and Y2.4 per kilometre thereafter; there is no need to tip. A Y1 fuel surcharge is included in the price.

» A night rate operates from 11pm to 5am, when the flag fall is Y18, then Y3.10 per kilometre.

» Pay by cash (xianjin) or use a Transport Card (see the boxed text, Click here).

» At night you can tell if a taxi is empty by the red ‘for hire’ sign on the dashboard of the passenger side.

» Ask for a printed receipt, which gives the fare and the driver and car number, the distance travelled, waiting time and the number to call if there are any problems or if you left something in the taxi.

» If you don’t speak Chinese, take a Chinese-character map, have your destination written down in characters, or pack your destination’s business card.

» Use your mobile to phone your local contact (or the 24-hour tourist hotline – 962 288) in Shanghai and ask him or her to give instructions to the driver.

» It also helps if you have your own directions and sit in the front with a map, looking know­ledgeable (to deter circuitous, looping detours).

» Shanghai’s main taxi companies include turquoise-coloured Dazhong Taxi ( 96822), Qiangsheng ( 6258 0000) and Bashi ( 96840).

» For taxi complaints, phone 962 000.

Many drivers are immigrants and can be inept at finding their way around, even to the most obvious of places. Some stick to the main roads and have little grasp of shortcuts. To avoid total novices, examine (if you have a choice between taxis) the number of stars below the driver’s photo on the dashboard; stars range from one to five in order of expertise (and English-language skills). Motorcycle taxis wait at some intersections and metro stations to whisk travellers off to nearby destinations. Most trips cost less than Y10.

Bus

Although sightseeing buses (see the boxed text) can be extremely handy, the huge Shanghai public bus system is unfortunately very hard for non-Chinese-speaking or -reading foreigners to use. Bus-stop signs and routes are in Chinese only and drivers and conductors speak little, if any, English, although on-board announcements in English will alert you to when to get off. The conductor will tell you when your stop is arriving, if you ask. Bus stops are widely spaced and your bus can race past your destination and on to the next stop up to a kilometre away. Suburban and long-distance buses don’t carry numbers – the destination is in characters.

» Air-con buses (with a snowflake motif and the characters alongside the bus number) cost Y2 to Y3 (Y1.5 on far rarer buses without air-con).

» For buses without conductors, drop your cash (no change given) into the tray by the driver (always carry exact money).

» The swipeable Transport Card (see boxed text, Click here) works on many but not all bus routes.

» Try to get on at the terminus (thus guaranteeing yourself a seat), avoid rush hours, and stick to a few tried-and-tested routes.

» Be alert to pickpockets, especially during the rush-hour squeeze.

» Buses generally operate from 5am to 11pm, except for 300-series buses, which operate all night.

» For English language bus routes in town, go to http://msittig.wubi.org/bus.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14