The 2025 Green Travel Publicity Month and Public Transport Promotion Week officially kicked off in Jinan, Shandong Province, highlighting China’s progress in building greener, smarter, and more inclusive public transport systems. The event was jointly launched by the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the State Administration of Government Offices, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the Communist Youth League of China, and the China Disabled Persons’ Federation.
Senior officials including Li Yang, Vice Minister of Transport, Song Junji, Vice Governor of Shandong Province, and Yu Haitian, Mayor of Jinan, attended the opening ceremony.
Vice Minister Li emphasized that China has made remarkable progress in urban public transit. By the end of 2024, the country operated 658,000 city buses and trolleybuses, with 544,000 of them being new energy vehicles, representing 82.7% of the fleet. Nationally, urban bus routes reached a total length of 1.75 million kilometers, while metro and rail transit networks extended to 11,000 kilometers—the longest in the world. Each day, over 200 million trips are made through green travel modes, including 100 million by metro, 100 million by bus, and 24 million by shared bicycle.
Li outlined four proposals: prioritizing urban public transport development, fostering a culture of green and civilized travel, improving age-friendly and inclusive transit services, and ensuring better care and support for front-line transport workers such as bus drivers, police officers, and volunteers.
Vice Governor Song Junji noted that Shandong Province has made green mobility a new social trend, with 63,000 buses, 88.1% of which are new energy vehicles. The province operates 183,000 kilometers of bus routes, and by the end of this year, its rail transit network will extend to 520 kilometers. Shandong has also developed more than 3,000 customized bus services, serving nearly nine million daily passengers.
Jinan, the host city, has been at the forefront of integrating bus and rail transit networks. Currently, the city operates three metro lines totaling 96.7 kilometers, which will expand to 248 kilometers by the end of 2025. During the 14th Five-Year Plan, Jinan has added or optimized 278 bus routes, filling 356 kilometers of coverage gaps. More than half of its 218 bus routes connect directly with metro stations.
The city has also introduced innovative services such as commuter shuttle lines, cultural event buses, and integrated passenger-cargo services, while setting up over 390 convenience facilities near transit hubs. These measures aim to build a comprehensive public mobility ecosystem that connects commuting, living, consumption, and cultural activities.
The event also unveiled outstanding entries from the 2025 Green Travel Publicity Campaign and showcased exemplary cases of sustainable public transport development nationwide.
Parallel to the national launch, the “My Bus, My City” campaign held a promotional event in Jinan on September 11. Media representatives were invited to learn about the city’s transit innovations, including BRT development, smart bus systems, and the integration of rail, bus, and non-motorized transport. Jinan’s Public Transport Group and Rail Transit Group highlighted ongoing projects such as high-capacity bus corridors, expanded metro networks, driver health monitoring systems, and transit-oriented development (TOD) projects that combine urban growth with sustainable mobility.
Local improvements continue to benefit residents. The anniversary of the cross-Yellow River K263 bus line was marked this week, having provided faster access between Jinan’s new development zones and the main urban center with a total operational mileage of 244,000 kilometers in one year. Meanwhile, a new community-based “micro-circulation” bus line, Route 558, began trial operations on September 12, providing more convenient connections for residents of Fengxin Road and nearby neighborhoods.
With a fleet of 7,555 buses, 1,715 taxis, and over 15,000 employees, Jinan Public Transport Group has positioned itself as both a public service provider and an urban development partner. The company has been recognized nationally for excellence in service and innovation.
The 2025 Green Travel Publicity Month, themed “Choose Buses First, Embrace Green Travel”, will feature advocacy campaigns, public engagement activities, service upgrades for the elderly and disabled, as well as initiatives to improve the welfare of frontline transport workers.
As Chinese cities continue to expand transit systems and adopt green technologies, Jinan stands out as a model of how sustainable mobility can support economic growth, social inclusion, and better quality of life for urban residents.