Chongqing Municipality and Sichuan Province in southwestern China plan to set up an inter-provincial bus transportation network covering all eligible neighboring cities, districts, and counties in both cities by 2022.

Chongqing and Sichuan plan to set up an inter-provincial bus transportation network covering all eligible neighboring cities, districts, and counties in both cities by 2022.

This is due to the Instructions on Opening Inter-provincial Bus Routes released by Chongqing Municipal Transportation Bureau and Department of Transportation of Sichuan Province on September 30.

Before the document was released, Chongqing Municipal Transportation Bureau has already opened two of such bus routes: the one opened on April 23 connects Guilin Sub-district of Tongnan District and Moxi Town of Anju District, Suining; the other one opened on August 18 connects Zhutuo Town of Yongchuan District and Yunjin Town of Luxian County, Luzhou.

Thus, it accumulated replicable experience on the development and implementation of inter-provincial bus routes.

Meanwhile, Chongqing Municipal Transportation Bureau and Chongqing State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission worked together to settle problems concerning bus cards' integration.

They encouraged and guided such operators as Chongqing City Transportation Development & Investment Group and Chongqing Transportation Holding (Group) to address the challenges in interconnectivity, establish a system to report progress regularly, and clarify the responsibilities of companies and suburban districts and counties.

From the end of May, Chongqing's bus card can be used in the other nine provinces and cities; at the end of September, the card can be used nationwide.

According to Chongqing Municipal Transportation Bureau, the technical upgrading of common buses in central urban areas and suburban districts and counties has been completed, allowing users with China T-union IC cards from 275 cities in China to take buses in Chongqing.

The similar upgrading of Chongqing Rail Transit's card-swiping system is expected to be finished by the end of December.