Editing Transport in China (section)

==Road==
{{further|Automotive industry in China}}

===Motor vehicles===
[[File:China National Expressway Network light.svg|thumb|[[National Trunk Highway System|NTHS]] System]]
[[File:沈海高速公路莆田段（202008）.jpg|thumb|A section of [[G15 Shenyang–Haikou Expressway]], part of the [[National Trunk Highway System|NTHS]]]]
[[File:Parked motorbikes in Pudong.jpg|thumb|right|Many Chinese still use motorbike or e-bike (seen here parked on a Shanghai street) to get around, but it is forbidden in some major cities.|alt=Two rows of motorbikes, many showing their age and use, parked next to a city street corner. There is a large white-bar-on-red-circle "do not enter" sign at the upper right.]]

{{Main|China National Highways|Expressways of China}}

During the war with [[Japan]], in the 1930s, China built many roads, the most famous of which is the [[Burma Road]] that leads southwest from [[Kunming]] to the city of [[Lashio]]. Since it came into power, the Communist government initiated a large effort into building highways that extend across China and beyond its borders.

Today, China is linked by an evolving network of highways ([[China National Highways]]) and expressways ([[Expressways of China]]). In the past few years, China has been rapidly developing its road network. 
Between 1990 and 2003, the total length of urban roads in China more than doubled; increasing from 95,000 to 208,000 kilometers of roads during that period. Similarly, during the same period of time, the total area allocated to roads more than tripled; from 892 million square meters in 1990, to 3,156.5 million square meters in 2003.<ref>{{cite conference|url= http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/IntOrg/ecmt/urban/Tokyo05/Wu.pdf|title= Urban travel in China: Continuing challenges with rapid urbanization and motorization|first= Wu|last= Wenhua|date= 2–3 March 2005|conference= Workshop on Implementing Sustainable Urban Transport Policies in Japan and other Asia-Pacific countries|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150624154510/http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/IntOrg/ecmt/urban/Tokyo05/Wu.pdf|archive-date= 2015-06-24|url-status= dead|location= Tokyo, Japan|access-date= 2015-06-24}} cited in {{cite book|author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title= Planning and Design for Sustainable Urban Mobility: Global Report on Human Settlements 2013|url= http://mirror.unhabitat.org/pmss/getElectronicVersion.aspx?nr=3503&alt=1|format= PDF|edition= Revised|publisher= [[United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)]]|page= 4|date= 2014|isbn= 978-92-1-132568-3|access-date= 16 June 2015}}</ref> China National Highways stretch to all four corners of mainland China. Expressways reach the same destinations as [[China National Highways]], except for the rugged terrain of Tibet. An expressway link is already at the planning stage.

Highways (totaling 130,000&nbsp;km) were critical to China's economic growth as it worked to mitigate a poor distribution network and authorities sought to spur economic activity directly. The highway and road systems carried nearly 11.6 billion tons of freight and 769.6 trillion passenger/kilometers in 2003.

The importance of [[highways]] and [[motor vehicle]]s, which carry 13.5% of cargo and 49.1% of passengers, was growing rapidly in the mid-2000s. [[Automobile]] usage has increased significantly in urban areas as incomes rise. However, as of 2009, car ownership was still low in comparison to the other members of the [[BRIC (economics term)|BRIC]] group of countries, being exceeded by [[Russia]] and [[Brazil]].<ref name="transtatsbz">{{cite web|url=http://www.iraptranstats.net/bz|title=Transport in Brazil|access-date=2009-02-17|work=International Transport Statistics Database|publisher=[[International Road Assessment Program|iRAP]] }}</ref> Indeed, the rate of car ownership in China is only expected to meet the 1960s level of car ownership of some developed countries in 2015.<ref name="transtatscn">{{cite web|url=http://www.iraptranstats.net/bz|title=Transport in China|access-date=2009-02-17|work=International Transport Statistics Database|publisher=iRAP }}</ref>

In 2002, excluding military and probably internal security vehicles, there were 12 million passenger cars and buses in operation and 8.1 million other vehicles. In 2003 China reported that 23.8 million vehicles were used for business purposes, including 14.8 million passenger vehicles and 8.5 million trucks. The latest statistics from the Beijing Municipal Statistics Bureau show that Beijing had nearly 1.3 million privately owned cars at the end of 2004 or 11 for each 100 Beijing residents. Beijing currently has the highest annual rate of private car growth in China, leading to major congestion in the capital.

In 2005 China had a total road network of more than 3.3 million km, although approximately 1.47 million km of this network are classified as "village roads". Paved roads totaled {{convert|770265|km|0|abbr=on}} in 2004; the remainder were gravel, improved earth standard, or merely earth tracks.

Some {{convert|270000|km|0|abbr=on}} of rural highways will be built and upgraded in 2008. By comparison, {{convert|423000|km|0|abbr=on}} of countryside highways were built or upgraded in 2007, a record high. According to China's Transport Ministry, as of the end of 2007, 98.54 percent of villages and towns had already been connected by highways.

The 2008 construction plan comprises five north–south highway trunk roads and seven east–west trunk roads and eight inter-provincial roads. Meanwhile, the central and local governments have continued to allocate funds to support the countryside highway build-up and step up construction quality supervision.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6333057.html| title = China to add and upgrade {{convert|270000|km|0|abbr=on}} of rural highway in 2008 - People's Daily Online<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref>

By the end of 2010, the total length of all public roads in China reached 3,984,000&nbsp;km,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://chinaautoweb.com/2010/12/chinas-highway-network-expands-74000-kilometers/ |title=China's Highway Network Expands to 74,000 Kilometers |publisher=ChinaAutoWeb.com}}</ref> with about {{convert|97000|km|0|abbr=on}} of [[Expressways of China|expressways]] by the end of 2012. All major cities are expected to be linked with a {{convert|108000|km|0|abbr=on}} inter-provincial expressway system by 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/90860/7392729.html|title=Highway grid to be finished by 2015: MOT - People's Daily Online|date=2011-05-27|publisher=English.people.com.cn|access-date=2012-11-07}}</ref>

===Motor vehicles safety===

RTA fatalities are vulnerable users (68%), including motorcycle, pedestrian and NMW.<ref name="china">{{Cite web | url=http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/7778/495620ESW0WHIT1ty1P11030101English1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y | title=China - Road Traffic Safety - The Achievements, the Challenges, and the Way Ahead | website=openknowledge.worldbank.org | publisher=Worldbank | date=August 2008}}</ref>

{{Graph:Chart
|width=100
|height=100
|type=pie
|x=Motorcycle, Pedestrian, Car user, NMW, Coach/Bus, Truck, Other MW, Other
|y1=.281,.260,.164,.148,.062,.041,0.035
|showValues=format:.1%, angle:60, offset:10, fontsize:12
|legend=Fatalities/Transport mode
}}

Vehicle is in cause in 17% of road fatalities.<ref name="china"/>

{{Graph:Chart
|width=100
|height=150
|type=rect
|x=Equipment failure, Vehicle not allowed, Overloading
|y1=0.091
|y2=0.044
|y3=0.030
|showValues=format:.1%
|yAxisFormat=.1%
|legend=Fatalities/Transport mode
|y1Title=Equipment failure, including brake (7.3%) but also light, tire, steering...
|y2Title=Vehicle not allowed includes wrong road, safety standard, registring, insurance
|y3Title=Overloading concern truck in 60% of the cases
|yAxisTitle=Part in fatal crashes
}}

Fatalities are 497 for 8.2 million inhabitants in [[Hainan]], and 9959 for 83 million people in [[Guangdong]] in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/60474/100702.pdf | title=Road Safety in China : challenges and opportunities | date=January 2008}}</ref>

{{Graph:Chart
|width=500
|height=200
|type=line
|x=15.8,10.8,68.5,33.4,23.8,42.2,27.1,38.2,13.5,74.3,47.2,62.3,35.1,42.8,93.1,97.2,60.2,67.0,83.0,48.9,8.2,27.7,87.3,39.0,44.2,2.7,37.1,26.2,5.4,5.9,19.6
|y1=1515,970,4075,3819,2106,2919,2428,2164,1393,7603,6881,4355,4125,2428,7050,4587,2417,3832,9959,3489,497,1484,4415,1647,2901,540,2698,1799,736,796,3110
|showSymbols=1
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|legend=Fatalities per people and province, in 2005
|y1Title=Province fatalities/population (2005)
|xAxisTitle=Population (Million)
|yAxisTitle=Fatalities
|yGrid= |xGrid= 
}}

{{Graph:Chart
|width=500
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|type=line
|x=2368,1729,12547,11586,8359,13440,7335,7140,2306,13998,6569,9633,6262,8555,21949,21648,15225,5563,17147,6299,1255,4676,10123,2629,3325,807,5858,4969,4002,2109
|y1=1515,970,4075,3819,2106,2919,2428,2164,1393,7603,6881,4355,4125,2428,7050,4587,2417,3832,9959,3489,497,1484,4415,1647,2901,540,2698,1799,736,796,3110
|showSymbols=1
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|legend=Fatalities per second class roads and province, in 2005
|y1Title=Province fatalities/Second class roads kilometers (2005)
|xAxisTitle=Second class roads kilometers
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|yGrid= |xGrid= 
}}

===Bus rapid transit===
{{Main|List of bus rapid transit systems#China}}

[[File:Beijing Bus Rapid Transit.jpg|thumb|right|Beijing BRT Line 1. Note the doors on the left-hand side of the bus -- the BRT line uses central island platforms for most of its route.]]

A number of BRT systems started operating in China, including the high capacity [[Guangzhou Bus Rapid Transit|Guangzhou BRT]]. More than 30 projects are being implemented or studied in [[China]] in some big cities. In 2018, 99% of all electric buses globally were registered in the People's Republic of China.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harper |first=Jo |date=2020-12-01 |title=Polish electric buses take over the European market |url=https://www.dw.com/en/polish-built-electric-buses-take-over-the-european-market/a-55778652 |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=DW}}</ref>

[[File:Muyu-Yichang-shuttle-bus-5483.jpg|thumb|Shuttle buses like this link smaller [[town (China)|towns]] with [[prefecture-level city|regional centers]].]]

===Trolleybus systems===
[[File:Wuhan - trolleybus in Wuluo Lu - P1040962.JPG|thumb|A trolleybus passes the [[Yellow Crane Tower]] in [[Wuhan]].]]
{{Further|List of trolleybus systems#China}}

As of 2013, [[trolleybus]]es provide a portion of the public transit service in 10 Chinese cities.<ref name="janes2011">Webb, Mary (ed.) (2011). ''Jane's Urban Transport Systems 2011-2012'', p. "[23]" (in foreword). Coulsdon, Surrey (UK): [[Jane's Information Group]].  {{ISBN|978-0-7106-2954-8}}.</ref> At one time, as many as 27 cities were served by trolleybuses, comprising 28 systems, as [[Wuhan]] had two independent trolleybus systems.<ref name="murray">Murray, Alan (2000). ''World Trolleybus Encyclopaedia'', pp. 8, 57 and 101.  UK: Trolleybooks. {{ISBN|0-904235-18-1}}.</ref> The [[Trolleybuses in Shanghai|Shanghai trolleybus system]], which remains in operation, opened in 1914 and is the longest-lived trolleybus system in the world.<ref name="murray"/><ref name="tm258">"Shanghai Anniversary" (Nov.-Dec. 2004). ''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 258, pp. 134–135. {{ISSN|0266-7452}}.</ref> All other trolleybus systems in China opened after 1950.<ref name="murray"/>

===Electric bicycles===
{{See also|Cycling in China}}
[[File:Yangzhou-WenchangLu-electric-bicycles-3278.jpg|thumb|Electric bicycles are very common in many cities of China, such as [[Yangzhou]]; in some areas they outnumber motorcycles or regular bicycles.]]

China is the world's leading producer of [[electric bicycle]]s. According to the data of the China Bicycle Association, a government-chartered industry group, in 2004 China's manufacturers sold 7.5 million electric bicycles nationwide, which was almost twice 2003 sales;<ref name=fairley>[https://spectrum.ieee.org/jun05/1213 "China's Cyclists Take Charge", By Peter Fairley.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090511144557/http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/jun05/1213 |date=2009-05-11 }} [[IEEE Spectrum]], June 2005</ref> domestic sales reached 10 million in 2005, and 16 to 18 million in 2006.<ref name=tim-johnson>[http://postcarboncities.net/cheap-and-green-electric-bikes-are-rage-china "Cheap and green, electric bikes are the rage in China"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130112030444/http://postcarboncities.net/cheap-and-green-electric-bikes-are-rage-china |date=2013-01-12 }}, by Tim Johnson. Originally published 23 May 2007 by McClatchy Newspapers.</ref> By 2007, electric bicycles were thought to make up 10 to 20 percent of all two-wheeled vehicles on the streets of many major cities.<ref name=tim-johnson/> A typical unit requires 8 hours to charge the battery, which provides the range of 25–30 miles (40–50&nbsp;km),<ref name=tim-johnson/> at the speed of around {{convert|20|km/h|0|abbr=on}},<ref name=fairley/> however people usually illegal override, makes it just like normal motorcycles, capable of reach nearly {{convert|100|km/h|0|abbr=on}}. A large number of such vehicles is exported from China as well (3 million units, worth 40 billion yuan ($5.8 billion), in 2006 alone),<ref>[http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=7&a=366245 "Europe's latest craze electric bikes"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120530184253/http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=7&a=366245 |date=2012-05-30 }}, Associated Press, 14 October 2008. The article gives ''China Bicycle Association'' and [[Xinhua]] News Agency's "Economic Reference" newspaper, as the sources of the numbers</ref>

=== Bikeshare ===
{{Further|Bicycle-sharing system#China}}

{{As of|2011|05}}, the [[Wuhan]] and [[Hangzhou Public Bicycle]] bike-share systems in China were the largest in the world, with around 90,000 and 60,000 bicycles respectively.<ref name="Access2011">{{cite web|url=http://www.uctc.net/access/39/access39_bikesharing.shtml|title=Worldwide Bikesharing|author=Susan Shaheen|author2=Stacey Guzman|date=Fall 2011|work=Access Magazine No. 39|publisher=[[University of California]] Transportation Center|access-date=2012-07-01|name-list-style=amp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120719042742/http://uctc.net/access/39/access39_bikesharing.shtml|archive-date=2012-07-19}}</ref> Of the world's 15 biggest public bike share programs 13 of them are in China.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/mar/22/bike-wars-dockless-china-millions-bicycles-hangzhou|title=Uber for bikes: how 'dockless' cycles flooded China – and are heading overseas|last=Mead|first=Nick Van|date=2017-03-22|work=The Guardian|access-date=2017-05-20|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> By 2013, China had a combined fleet of 650,000 public bikes.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ywang/2014/10/20/return-of-bicycle-culture-in-china-adds-to-billionaires-wealth/#1dfbd6cf7752|title=Return of Bicycle Culture In China Adds To Billionaires' Wealth|last=Wang|first=Yue|work=Forbes|access-date=2017-07-04}}</ref> China has seen a rise in popularity with privately run [[Application software|app]] driven "dockless" bike shares with fleets that dwarf systems outside of China.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001071840/ce|title=China's bike-sharing boom in charts中国掀起共享单车热潮 - FT中文网|website=www.ftchinese.com|access-date=2017-07-05}}</ref> One such bike share alone, [[Mobike]], operates 100,000 dockless bikes in each of the cities of [[Shanghai]], [[Beijing]], [[Shenzhen]] and [[Guangzhou]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/mar/22/bike-wars-dockless-china-millions-bicycles-hangzhou|title=Uber for bikes: how 'dockless' cycles flooded China – and are heading overseas|last=Mead|first=Nick Van|date=2017-03-22|work=The Guardian|access-date=2017-07-04|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Overall, there are more than 30 private bike share operators including [[Mobike]], [[ofo (bike sharing)|ofo]], and [[Bluegogo]], that have put over 3 million dockless shared bikes in various cities across China.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bicycling.com/culture/the-runaway-bikeshare-boom-in-china-is-a-cautionary-tale|title=The Runaway Bikeshare Boom in China Is a Cautionary Tale|date=2017-05-31|work=Bicycling|access-date=2017-07-04|language=en}}</ref>