MORE than 300 new low-emission buses went into service on 28 main roads in Qingdao on Nov. 1.

    It is the second batch of new buses purchased by the city this year.

    Twelve new bus terminals have been built at a cost of 260 million yuan (US$39 million).

    The city government plans to add 1,208 new buses to the transport network this year. The first batch of 494 buses was launched in July and the rest will go into use by mid-December on 48 routes.

    By the end of the year, Qingdao will have more than 3,000 buses that meet the National Emission Standard III, accounting for 80 percent of the city’s public buses.

    More than 130 new bus routes have been opened, totaling 720 kilometers. The routes link downtown Qingdao with the city’s suburbs.

    An undersea tunnel from Qingdao to Huangdao will be completed next year. By then, All seven districts will be covered by the city’s public bus network. (Chen Ting, Li Xiaohan)