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China Bus Network Visit: A Record of Zhongtong Sleeper Bus Operations

2018/11/13 14:00

sleeping buses, once hailed as the "contributor" to China's long-distance passenger transport market. However, a major accident in 2011 overshadowed all the "achievements" of sleeping buses. In an instant, sleeping buses became the "scapegoat" for the accident. Despite many passenger transport companies lamenting, many bus manufacturers complaining, and many media outlets trying to salvage the situation... ultimately, sleeping buses were banned from production, sale, and registration. This means that sleeping buses will gradually withdraw from the passenger transport stage. Just as the industry was deeply regretting this news, Zhongtong Bus took the lead in launching a substitute for sleeping buses, which, as the name suggests, is meant to replace sleeping buses.
China Bus Network Visit: A Record of Zhongtong Sleeper Bus Operations

Sleeper buses were once hailed as the "contributor" to the domestic long-distance passenger transport market in China. However, a major accident in 2011 overshadowed all the "achievements" of sleeper buses. In an instant, sleeper buses became the "scapegoat" for the accident. Despite many passenger transport companies lamenting, many bus manufacturers complaining, and many media outlets trying to salvage the situation, sleeper buses were ultimately banned from production, sale, and registration. This means that sleeper buses will gradually withdraw from the passenger transport stage.

Just as the industry was deeply regretting this news, Zhongtong Bus took the lead in launching the substitute sleeper bus, which, as the name suggests, is a model that replaces sleeper buses. During an interview, the reporter discussed the topic of substitute sleeper buses with many industry veterans, and many expressed doubts about the comfort and operational efficiency of substitute sleeper buses. So, can substitute sleeper buses really withstand the test of the market? On the afternoon of July 25, 2012, Zhongtong's substitute sleeper bus made its debut in Weihai, heading to Shanghai. The reporter from China Bus Network decided to go and take a look.

Surprisingly, the occupancy rate for the route from Weihai to Shanghai is usually around 80% to 90%, but on the day of the debut, it actually reached full capacity, which was well received by passengers. Zhongtong Bus, shouldering responsibility, bravely developed new models and took actions to solve people's livelihood issues, which impressed the industry.

With sleeper buses banned, substitute sleeper buses become a way out.

Recently, to eliminate safety hazards present in some long-distance sleeper buses during operation, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Public Security jointly issued a notice, stating that starting from March 1, 2012, the production and sale of sleeper bus products will be suspended, and local public security traffic police departments will stop processing the registration of sleeper buses.

As a passenger transport company, to develop, it must quickly comply with and adapt to various regulations. Weihai Transportation Group Co., Ltd. (referred to as Weihai Transport) is the only backbone transportation enterprise in Weihai City that integrates transportation, industry, and trade. It operates more than 800 passenger buses and mainly engages in road passenger and freight transport, automobile repair, and sales of auto parts and fuel. Currently, Weihai Transport operates 341 passenger transport routes, with 2,280 departures, establishing a continuous departure mechanism between Weihai urban area and major urban areas in Shandong Province, and connecting with twelve provinces and cities outside the province, including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, and Hebei, forming an operational pattern that radiates to East China, North China, and Southwest China, successfully building a bridge for communication between Weihai and various places.

With the ban on sleeper buses, the long-distance routes operated by Weihai Transport will inevitably be directly affected, not only limiting passenger travel but also leading to a decline in the overall operational efficiency of the group. To overcome the difficulties, the leadership of Weihai Transport Group, after comprehensive investigation, came up with a method that meets national policy requirements, satisfies passenger travel needs, and maintains the company's service reputation by introducing six Zhongtong substitute sleeper buses, which were gradually approved by the competent authorities and put into use on routes from Weihai to Shanghai, Rongcheng to Shanghai, Rongcheng to Beijing, and Weihai to Hefei.

Unexpectedly, on the first day of operation, the substitute sleeper bus was fully booked. This bus has a total of 37 seats, which is two more than the equivalent length sleeper bus. From Weihai to Shanghai, a ticket costs 383 yuan, and with two more passengers, an additional 766 yuan can be earned." Manager Xing from Weihai Transport's third branch happily told the reporter from China Bus Network.

Adapting to development trends, creating quality buses.

The reporter also did some calculations privately. If not taking the substitute sleeper bus, one would first take a bus to Qingdao and then take a high-speed train to Shanghai, costing about 625 yuan. For passengers, the direct substitute sleeper bus not only reduces the fatigue of transferring but also saves 342 yuan. It can be seen that the emergence of substitute sleeper buses meets market demand and is an inevitable trend of the times.

Since 2010, Zhongtong Bus has begun preparing to develop corresponding substitute models. In the first half of 2011, Zhongtong Bus successfully developed the sleeper replacement model "Century Star" and exhibited it at multiple trade shows. In September 2011, at the China (Wuhan) International Transportation Technology Expo, Zhongtong Bus officially launched the "Century Star".

On November 28, 2011, Zhongtong Bus successfully held a promotional event for the substitute sleeper bus "National First Substitute Sleeper Bus Technical Appraisal Conference" at the Nanfeng Hotel in Jinan, which played a positive role in the market promotion of the company's substitute sleeper products. With the development of the bus market, especially with the arrival of the summer transport season, the market demand for Zhongtong substitute sleeper buses has been further released, bringing courage for Chinese buses to enter the "post-sleeper bus era".

Before the debut of the Zhongtong substitute sleeper bus in Weihai Transport, a reporter from China Bus Network boarded this beautifully designed substitute sleeper bus adorned with large red flowers and found that the seating arrangement made full use of the effective space inside the bus, and it featured semi-reclining seats with adjustable backrests up to 140 degrees, and leg rests installed in front of the seats (which can be adjusted according to personal comfort), providing passengers with a comfortable reclining effect, thus greatly reducing discomfort caused by long-distance travel. At the same time, the bus is equipped with a complete monitoring system, VCD, drinking water dispenser, heating and cooling air conditioning, and a restroom, creating a warm atmosphere for passengers.

Luxurious appearance, comfortable and reassuring ride.

The first time I took this kind of bus, I felt very comfortable, a bit like the first class on a plane." Mr. Wang, a passenger, smiled as he said in an interview with the reporter: "I was worried when buying the ticket, wondering if sitting for 15 hours would be exhausting, but I had to rush back to Shanghai for business and had no choice but to buy this ticket. However, as soon as I boarded the bus and sat down, my worries disappeared. I am nearly 1.8 meters tall, and the space in the seat is quite spacious. Moreover, the attendant told me that they would provide each person with a blanket during the journey. Most importantly, I used to dread the smell of feet when everyone wore slippers on sleeper buses. The substitute sleeper bus avoids this phenomenon, which feels really good!"

It was really a bit unexpected. When buying the ticket, the ticket seller might have forgotten to tell me it was a seat bus, not a sleeper bus. I only realized it was a substitute sleeper bus at the moment of boarding, and I felt deceived. I was furious at that time. We are two elderly people nearing 70, and we also brought a 5-year-old child. We bought sleeper tickets for convenience. So, I immediately asked the attendant for a refund, but the station staff were very nice and changed our seats to the front. Later, I thought to let it go; after all, not having experienced it doesn't mean it would be bad, so I boarded the bus. After more than ten hours of travel, the angle of the reclining seat was very suitable, and it could be both seated and reclined. Compared to that, I even felt more comfortable than on a sleeper bus." On July 26, 2012, the reporter followed up by phone with an elderly passenger who was very dissatisfied with taking the substitute sleeper bus on the 25th. His attitude changed significantly, stating that the substitute sleeper bus is also one of the ideal travel tools.

The communication between people promotes the connection between cities. For the bus industry to firmly establish itself in the era of high-speed rail and civil aviation, it must respond to new challenges and opportunities with a more open mindset. With the strong support of favorable policies, Zhongtong Bus has not halted its progress; they have filled the gap left by the retreat of sleeper buses with sincerity and innovation. Thus, the journey will be more beautiful!

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