BJ Metro: WeChat Pay Now Accepted, and Free Phone Recharges
WeChat Pay has finally been accepted by Beijing Metro turnstiles, topping off this round-up of recent Beijing subway news that range from the sublime to "just-blimey."
After being first introduced three months ago, Beijing subway commuters can now officially begin using WeChat Pay at QR scanners at station entrances. As strange as it seems that one of China's biggest mobile wallet payment systems haven't been a part of the industry's most expansive development, the formal announcement was only made this past Monday.
QR fare payments have been tremendously successful in Beijing where some 51 million passengers have used it since it was first introduced in May. However, an over-reliance on mobile phone services seems to put early adopters at a disadvantage.
A public backlash has erupted in response to the news that the Beijing Metro will charge QR code-paying commuters the full price of the fare should their phone run out of electricity while in transit. As the Voice of China reports, experts are claiming this policy violates consumer rights. And yet, commuters should be relieved to know that the Beijing Metro will begin to offer free phone chargers at all of its subway stations beginning Aug 20.
Another new development with far-reaching ramifications is the recent announcement that the Lize Financial Business District of Beijing (FBD) will create an internal "three-dimensional transportation network" that will link all of its subway lines together. As the western counterpart to the CBD at Guomao, the integrated transport hub will connect Metro Line 14 and 16 as well as the future Line 11 and express link to the new Beijing airport to the south.
READ: New Line 13 Tsinghua University Station to Open this Year; Nanotech to Eliminate Subway Stench
As great as these developments will potentially contribute to service on the Beijing Metro, the practical implementation of recent subway operations have been less than optimal. Even after putting aside all of the malfunctions that have occurred on a monthly basis, delays have persisted to hamper Beijing subway patrons.
Early Tuesday morning, subway service to much of Line 13 was delayed after a person got onto the subway tracks at Huilongguan Station, causing electricity to be cut on the subway rails. And on Monday, a passenger that prematurely disembarked at Lama Temple Station on Line 5 decided to hold up the entire train when his traveling companion got stuck inside the train (video shown above).
READ: End of the Paper Trail: Beijing Metro to Exclusively Use Electronic Receipts
But delays are just a small part of the picture as subway molesters and voyeurs continue to be more than a nuisance to subway riders. As much as Beijing police try to mitigate the problem with undercover sting operations, subway perverts continue to act brazenly. One captured suspect who works in the tech industry explained his disgusting acts by saying it "relieved his work pressure," reported the Observer.
A ride on the Beijing Metro these days isn't without its usual inconveniences that range from aggressive panhandling to smoking passengers. That's why we'll take all the help we can get, such as this station worker recently seen pushing commuters onto a crowded subway train (shown above).
After all, isn't "pushing" something we can all get behind?
Images: Weibo.com, iFeng.com
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