The first bus service catering to handicapped and senior citizens in Beijing began operation Tuesday.

As the one-step bus boarding platform is low enough to be level roughly with raised sidewalk roadbed, handicapped people will no longer to worry about lifting their wheelchairs onto the bus without help of others.

As there are no any barrier within the 12-meter-long bus, it is convenient for people in wheelchairs to move around in the bus and get on and off from three doors. Moreover, wheelchairs can be parked at a multi-function zone in the center and be fixed with hooks.

Compared with ordinary buses, other differences include special seats for infants and installation of a change gear on each bus so that passengers will not sway when bus starts to move.

The 11.65-km-long bus route starts from Tiananmen in central Beijing and ends at Xizhimen. Service hours begins at 6:30 am and ends at 8:30 pm. Bus fair is two yuan, same as that of other buses.

Statistics showed China has 60 million handicapped people. The number in Beijing totals 622,000. The government of Beijing has taken a series measures to cater to their special needs such as building 1,000 "non-obstacle" public toilets and ramps on all sidewalks.

(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2004)