Smart transport improves travel in Guiyang

Getting around Guiyang is becoming more convenient and smarter, with residents using smartphones to check bus arrival times, plan transfers, and pay fares by scanning a QR code or using facial recognition.

Ms Liu, a Guiyang resident, often takes Bus 311 to Qianling Park for exercise. Before heading out, she checks estimated arrival times on the "Palm Bus" app and leaves home about 10 minutes in advance, typically waiting less than two minutes for the bus to arrive. Once onboard, she scans a QR code through apps such as "Yiying Qianxing" or "Cool Guiyang" to pay the fare.

The city has continued to upgrade its public transport services through digital technology. Since launching in 2020, the "Yiying Qianxing" smart transport platform has registered nearly 28 million users and serves an average of one million passengers a day.

Facial recognition has also been introduced across Guiyang's rail transit system, with around 1,900 devices installed at stations along metro lines 1, 2, 3, and the S1 Line.

State-owned Guiyang Public Transport Co also launched dedicated routes for long-stay visitors this summer, allowing travelers to book routes, apply for staycation transit cards, and reserve homestays through the "Qianshuang Bus" WeChat applet, making summer travel around Guiyang even more convenient.