Public buses in Guangzhou have adopted a new fare mechanism ranging from 2 to 3 yuan since September 1, according to a circular released by the municipal development and reform commission.

The new mechanism replaces the previous five-tier public bus fare level from 1 to 5 yuan.To be specific, under the new mechanism, public buses operating on routes not exceeding 20 kilometers charge 2 yuan per person, and buses operating more than 20 kilometers charge 3 yuan per person.

The adjustment only applies to public buses running during daytimeand managed by the city's transport authority. Prices of express buses, night buses and BRT buses remain unchanged.And the fares of buses running in the districts of Huadu, Panyu, Conghua and Zengcheng are determined by the local district governments.

The new fare mechanism is expected to reduce the travel cost of long-distance commuters, who now only need to pay 3 yuan to take a bus that charged 4 or 5 yuan previously.

In addition to optimizing public bus fares, Guangzhou will furtherimprove bus servicesto provide greater convenience to travelers, with plans to adjust bus routes to connect metro stations more seamlessly, extend bus operation hours to 15 minutes later than the last metro train at some stations, increase bus capacity in peripheral areas that lack metro service, and launch more short-distance micro bus lines to serve community residents.