problem allowing its bus drivers to go on strike. Strike? I don't know the process here but, there weren't any police batons out or people crowding around in dissent.People can strike in rural China. It's true. Bus drivers sat in plastic chairs in the bus station depot, smoking, eating and pointing pointedly to the signs they had made to post on the buses. Regular civilians like yours truly milled around the bus station, taking, strangely, the only two routes still in operation. I think it's because my town is so rural that if there were no buses, people would go crazy. Thanks, Terror (my favorite bus driver, photo to come soon) for still operating bus lines!
Interesting signs right? Unfortunately, I can't... quite make it all out.
Sorry. Illiterate. BUT, I did take photos so that you can see what I see, and perhaps even translate? I figure, you know it must be shady if even the Chinese people are protesting.
Those Chinese words on the bus body says...
ReplyDeleteFor many of the buses (in both top and lower photos):
"let the (old) buses retired and renewal is very very very difficult" [The chinese word for "difficult" is repeated 3 times.]
Another one or two says:
"the capital invested cannot get revenue and it is tragical"
The pink colour bus in the top photo says:
"let the (old) buses retired and renewal is as similar as slaughter"
In Chinese spoken language, they will say
ReplyDelete"slaughter" a vehicle to express the action when the vehicle is to be scrapped.
of course, the possible double meaning is that...
the govt policy forcing bus operators to renew the buses with a certain years say 8 - 10 years, or forcing an upgrade to more environmental friendly specification is like slaughtering the operator(s).
the max. year of service in large cities is probably 8 - 10 years, while for rural area it will be longer, say 12 - 15 years.
Thanks so much for translating these!
ReplyDeleteA final word:
ReplyDeleteFor some rich city the local government (somewhat like mayor or federal govt) the officials will provide subsidies to operators for each renewed new bus...
if the new model fulfill an advanced level on environmental friendliness (like 100% electrical or LPG-electrical hybrid models), this can please Beijing central govt...
As the policy can create a beautiful carbon emission reduction figure and increase the bargaining power when trading with other foreign nations.
Of course for rural area in China the "federal" government probably cannot afford to pay for those subsidy scheme like rich cities...