THE city’s first eight school bus routes that opened March 7 were well received by students.

    Students were very impressed with the buses, saying it was not crowded and they could even read on the buses.

    Zhang Hongliang, a school bus driver, said it was a very nice thing to open special routes for students. “It can not only protect the students but also increase efficiency,” he said.

    Officials from the Qingdao Bus Group said many students chose to take school buses on the first day. The No. 212 bus was particularly popular because it passed so many schools.

    The school buses are newly added buses and will not affect people commuting to work. The school bus drivers are ordered to drive cautiously to ensure students’ safety.

    The bus service is still in trial operation and many schools have applied to have more students’ bus routes operating in the future.

    (Wang Yuanyuan, Li Xiaohan)