The city of Guangzhou has been forced to start charging riders again for using public transport. The city had thrown open the turnstiles for one month during the Asian Games, but the program proved wildly popular and the system became overloaded.
As a convenience to residents, Guangzhou announced a free public transportation month for November. However, it proved to be so popular the city's transit system quickly became overburdened.
Passenger Ouyang said, "It's too crowded in the subway. You need to line up to wait and pass through the security check. It takes about 15 minutes to catch a train."
Ouyang was late for work everyday for a week after the free transportation began. The only other option open to him was to try to cram his body onto a packed train -- like this man.
Passenger flow per day doubled in a week, which was far more than the public transportation system could bear.
Once the severity of the situation became apparent, Guangzhou canceled it and opted to distribute transport subsidies to its residents instead.
The exception are people associated with the Asian Games and spectators, who will still enjoy free transportation during Asian Games and Asian Paralympics.