1 square meter can stand 8 people bus overload standard is out of date

Xinhuanet Jinan, February 13 (Reporters Yuan Junbao, Xi Min, Wu Shuguang) Recently, a bus's "overloading standard" has caused heated discussions. Many people questioned whether more than 8 people per square metre station were considered to be overloaded. The standard is too exaggerated. According to the reporter’s investigation, it is not impossible for eight persons per square meter to stand on congested lines in the morning and at night. Some experts also stated that at present, the carrying capacity of buses has been designed taking into account the number of passengers and there is no need to worry too much about operational safety. However, the government should continue to increase its investment in the public transport field to make citizens as comfortable and easy as possible.

The “Old Standard” Triggered New Discussions Bus rides have been the primary choice for many people in modern urban life. The phenomenon of people crowding and “sticking” people at peak hours is commonplace.

The reporters found out that the 1987 edition of the “Technical Conditions for the Safety of Motor Vehicles” found that urban buses and trolleybuses allowed five people to stand in an area of ​​1 square meter. In 1997, the new standard replaced the 1987 standard, which stipulated that the number of city buses and trolley buses should be 1 person in 0.125 square meters. The latest standard in 2004 also follows this rule.

The reporter also found that the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has also proposed in the interpretation of the urban construction system that the rated passenger capacity of the operating vehicles can be “number of passengers = number of fixed passenger seats in the cabin + effective standing area of ​​the cabin (m2) × per square meter. Allows the number of stations to be calculated, and points out that the number of people allowed to stand per square meter is calculated as 8 persons.

"I did not expect the bus to be overloaded. I thought it would be okay if I could squeeze it." said Zheng Mingyang, a Jinan citizen who spends one and a half hours and two buses a day to reach the unit, but the standard is 8 people per square meter. It's too crowded. No wonder they are being squeezed into "photos" every day.

Some citizens said that during peak commuting hours, buses on hotspots are very crowded. People in the back are often pushing people in front of them into buses. Such a crowded riding environment is indeed a kind of torture for passengers. , but in order not to be late and come home early, only to squeeze.

Regarding the crowded state of “1 sqm crowded down 8 people”, the reporter did an experiment. In the thick coat of winter, 8 people can indeed stand firm within 1 square meter, without serious "squeezing", even more "crowd" than the crowdedness of some of the reporters experienced morning and evening peaks. , and when the number increases to 12 people, people can no longer stand firm.

Is it safe to overload a public transportation bus?

For the problem of "overloading" buses, some drivers expressed their frustration. They believe that in the context of the city’s strong promotion of public transport, drivers are mostly required to be unable to drop a passenger. Sometimes passengers outside the bus are also eager to ride, which leads to “passive” overloading of buses.

A bus driver named Sheng of Jinan Bus Company told the reporter that from 6:30 to 8:00 on the working day and from 16:00 to 18:00, all members of the public are focused on travel time and are prone to congestion in the car. "Outside passengers want to come up, but the inside passengers are too reluctant to allow them to come up. At this time, both sides have complaints. We can only say good things in the middle and try to get passengers to get on the bus," she said.

When the reporter called the Jinan bus hotline 96190, the staff also said that during the peak hours of commuting, there may be the phenomenon that individual passengers cannot get on the bus. However, the crowded bus must also stop to allow passengers to get on and off. If it is found that buses have not been parked as required, they can call and complain.

It is understood that there have also been some cases in which penalties have been imposed on the overcrowding of buses. However, most areas have not been strictly inspected. The relevant person in charge of the Shandong Traffic Police Department told the reporter that buses are currently the preferred means of transportation that the government strongly advocates. Regardless of whether it is overloaded, it has not been investigated and dealt with in recent years.

According to the "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Road Traffic Safety Law", passenger vehicles on highways shall not exceed the authorized number of passengers, except for children who are exempted from votes in accordance with regulations. The reporter’s investigation found that for the number of approved passengers, each vehicle has a clear rule. According to Li Chengliang, business manager of Zhongtong Automotive Industry Group Co., Ltd., there will be a clear number of seats and rated passengers in the vehicle parameters of the bus, and the number of rated passengers is calculated based on the country's standard of 8 people per square meter.

Dai Yongquan, a professor at the Shandong Jiaotong University who has long been engaged in automotive research, said that when designing and manufacturing urban buses, the city’s bus has taken into account the crowded conditions of the car, and the maximum carrying capacity of passengers is also designed to be between 8 and 12 people per square meter. 8 people per square meter station has little effect on the performance of the bus.

For some people questioned the "outdated" standard and the phenomenon of overcrowded buses, some experts said that they must continue to increase investment in public transportation, increase the density of buses during the commuting period, and rationally use existing public facilities. Transportation resources. In major cities where there is a need, rail transit must be vigorously developed to provide conditions for the citizens to have easy and smooth travel.

“Only the transportation facilities are sufficient to meet people’s travel requirements, and the focus of consideration can be shifted to people’s travel comfort. In the current situation where many lines are still congested, direct demand for reducing the passenger capacity of buses may result in More questions." Dai Jiquan thinks.

Zhang Xiaohua, director of the Traffic Planning and Design Research Center of Shandong University, said: “The current urban congestion is more serious. Public transport is the main force to take on public transportation. It should continue to increase public transport investment, not only to solve overload, but also to manage congestion. ”

Zheng Mingyang believes that the bus resources in some cities can be used more effectively. “For example, Jinan’s air-conditioned bus fares are 2 yuan, which is twice as expensive as regular cars. In the spring of autumn, the air-conditioning of these vehicles is not open at all, but the price is still 2 yuan, which leads to the inability of ordinary vehicles ."

Zhou Changpeng, a lawyer of Shandong Haocai Law Firm, believes that it is better to modify the current technical standards than to strengthen the legislation on public transport facilities. For example, the number and length of urban public transport should be continuously increased in accordance with population standards. Only by guaranteeing the capacity of public transport can we create the preconditions for the revision of the “overload” standard of automobiles.

Zhou Changpeng believes that for excessive overloading of buses, the traffic police department should also make appropriate interventions, but instead of adopting a rigorous and rigorous investigation, it can gradually and stringently require goodwill reminders to urge relevant departments to increase investment in the public transportation field.

Some experts and people believe that excessive overloading of buses will inevitably create potential safety hazards. Unsatisfactory passengers will also force them to choose other vehicles such as private cars. This will lead to more waste of resources and traffic congestion. Improvement in "overload" standards Real realization should be the expression of the expectation of the entire society and the progress of society.