Scheduled Route Passenger Transport

1. Definition and Functional Positioning

Scheduled route passenger transport refers to a commercial road passenger transport service where public service vehicles operate across urban and rural road networks according to fixed routes, timetables, designated stops, and scheduled trips. Its defining characteristic lies in the "Four Fixes" — fixed routes, fixed schedules, fixed stops, and fixed frequencies. Operating on a retail ticketing basis for the general public, it forms the foundational road passenger transit network connecting cities, towns, and rural settlements, and serves as the primary operating model for conventional long-distance express coaches.

2. Classification System

Scheduled passenger transport is categorised into four classes based on operational coverage and route distance:

Category	Operating Coverage	Fleet Ownership Requirements
Class I Passenger Route	Inter-provincial routes across provincial administrative boundaries (excluding adjacent counties)	At least 100 vehicles, including 30 or more high-grade coaches; or at least 40 self-owned high-grade coaches
Class II Passenger Route	Intra-provincial routes across municipal districts (excluding adjacent counties)	At least 50 vehicles, including 15 or more medium-to-high-grade coaches; or at least 20 self-owned high-grade coaches
Class III Passenger Route	Intra-municipal routes across county-level administrative boundaries (excluding adjacent counties)	At least 10 vehicles
Class IV Passenger Route	Routes within a single county administrative area or between adjacent counties	At least 1 vehicle

3. Operating Licences and Validity Period

Operating scheduled passenger transport services requires a statutory licence under the Road Transport Regulations. Applicants must possess a fleet compatible with their scope of operations, fully qualified professional drivers, and robust safety management systems, alongside clearly defined route and stopping bay proposals. Operating licences for scheduled passenger routes are valid for 4 to 8 years; operators intending to continue services upon expiry must submit a renewal application. Once licensed, operators are obligated to maintain continuous transport services for the public and are strictly prohibited from suspending, terminating, or transferring route operations without prior regulatory approval.

4. Operational Rules and Prohibited Practices

Scheduled passenger vehicles must operate strictly in line with approved origin-destination points, minimum daily trip quotas, and registered transit corridors, picking up and setting down passengers exclusively at authorised boarding stops. Picking up passengers outside designated stops or touting for fares along the route is strictly prohibited. In practice, routes, departure times, stopping points, and fare structures are fully fixed; operators manage passenger loads through designated bus terminals, issuing tickets on a strictly per-stop, one-ticket-per-passenger basis.

5. Development Trends

In recent years, conventional scheduled passenger services have faced significant pressure from private vehicle ownership, high-speed rail networks, and e-hailing platforms, accelerating industry-wide restructuring. A key strategic adaptation is the rollout of customised on-demand scheduled services, where operators retain route licences while leveraging digital platforms to publish schedules, allow online booking, and offer flexible departure times and pick-up/drop-off points. As of 2025, approximately 6,600 customised routes have been launched nationwide, deploying a fleet of over 30,000 vehicles. On the regulatory front, operational autonomy continues to expand through reforms such as removing rigid vehicle seating capacity quotas, switching transit route approvals from licensing to filing systems, and removing caps on maximum daily trips, steering the industry towards a more agile and digitalised ecosystem.