With the aid of speedy urbanization, the bus has become the most important form of transport in China, a country once dubbed "the kingdom of bicycles”.

A recent survey shows that 56 per cent respondents living in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou said buses were the most frequently used method of transport, in contrast to only 19 per cent for bicycles. In Shanghai alone, buses account for about 80 per cent of the city's commuter volume, and in Guangzhou, two thirds permanent population are regular bus riders.