Amid the backdrop of the continuous downturn in the Chinese economy and tight public finances, traditional livelihood service industries such as urban public transportation are facing unprecedented survival pressure. To cope with the sharp decline in passenger flow and the difficulty in sustaining financial subsidies, a state-owned bus company in Zhengzhou, Henan Province has launched an innovative self-rescue mode of carrying passengers during the day and delivering goods at night. Additionally, cities like Xi’an, Wuhan, and Chengdu have also adopted models combining public transportation with express delivery services.
According to reports, Zhengzhou Public Transport Group recently reached a cooperation agreement with SF Express to transform idle buses at night into “urban express delivery vehicles,” utilizing the late-night non-operational hours to undertake same-city express delivery services. A resident of Zhengzhou, Mr. Sun, told Epoch Times on July 16 that there are very few people taking public transportation now. “The weather is hot, many people are unemployed, and going out costs money. To save money, people choose to walk. I usually walk one or two kilometers as a way to exercise.”
A netizen, with the username “Adding Bricks and Tiles 8”, posted a photo on social media and commented, “Zhengzhou’s public transportation is doing great, carrying passengers during the day and goods at night. Public transportations nationwide are ready to learn from this.” He pointed out that Zhengzhou’s public transportation had suffered heavy losses last year, with over 30% passenger loss and hundreds of millions of losses throughout the year. Around 3,000 public buses in the city are all parked at night, resulting in significant waste. The cooperation between SF Express and the public transport company is seen as an “innovative move.”
From the on-site photos shared by netizens, it can be seen that at night, several workers are loading packages onto the bus. According to insiders, the project is currently in the trial operation stage but has been able to alleviate the operational pressure to a certain extent: “Although the freight for one night is not much, it’s better than having idle vehicles. Now thousands of employees are waiting to be paid; any additional income helps.”
Similar situations are not unique to Zhengzhou. Mr. Deng, a resident of Baoding, Hebei Province, told reporters that local street offices have been using official vehicles to assist delivery companies due to financial difficulties. “I heard that some street offices have not received full salaries for several months.”
In recent years, with the popularity of ride-hailing services, self-driving cars, and electric vehicles, coupled with the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, public transportation passenger volumes have significantly decreased in many areas. Mr. Deng pointed out that at one point, Baoding’s public transportation only had about 30% of the normal passenger volume. New energy buses were forced to stop running due to battery aging and high costs.
Zhengzhou Public Transport Group is a state-owned enterprise in Zhengzhou. The financial report of 2024 and public information show a loss of hundreds of millions of yuan in 2024. Despite owning more than 3,000 buses, the nighttime resources are mostly idle, forcing the enterprise to explore diversified ways of monetization.
Industry insiders analyze that the public transportation system’s predicament is mainly due to high vacant rates, increasing operational costs, inadequate financial subsidies, and other factors. In many cities, public transport companies have had to reduce service frequencies or cut routes to save costs, further exacerbating a vicious cycle.
Apart from Zhengzhou, SF Express is also promoting the “public transportation + express delivery” model in cities like Xi’an, Wuhan, Chengdu, and Nanjing. The 503 bus in Nanjing has been carrying both passengers and parcels for two years, saving delivery time; Wuhan has transformed some bus stations into express sorting points, with some bus drivers doubling as delivery personnel.
This move has sparked discussions on social platforms. Many netizens believe that in the current tight fiscal environment, instead of waiting for government subsidies, it is better to take proactive steps to revitalize resources. A public transportation worker frankly stated, “Zhengzhou’s approach is worthy of learning by all counterparts nationwide.”
Mr. Fang, a resident of Wuhan, also expressed concerns to reporters about frequent salary payment issues for grassroots public servants such as bus drivers and sanitation workers, saying that “Even the district government doesn’t have money; I don’t know how they will make it through the second half of the year.”
He lamented, “An epidemic, a US-China trade war, have severely hit the Chinese economy. Today’s problems are not just natural disasters or external pressures but also institutional issues. The development space of private enterprises has been compressed. Public transportation, real estate, manufacturing, exports – which one is not shrinking?”