Passengers claim to be in a "sauna"! How can the waiting experience be ignored?, The temperature of the air-conditioned bus carriage at the departure station is high. Air conditioning | Reporter | Temperature
"On hot days, sitting in a car feels like a sauna!" Recently, Ms. Li, a citizen, called the 12345 Citizen Service Hotline, reporting that she had a poor experience riding the 929 bus at the North Square Station of Shanghai Railway Station. As one of the important gateways of Shanghai, the waiting and riding experience at nearby bus stations is obviously more important. Why does the carriage give passengers a feeling of "sauna"? The reporter went to investigate.
The air conditioner is only turned on when the bus starts, and the high temperature is unbearable when waiting for the bus.
Ms. Li told reporters that on the day of the complaint, she had just disembarked from Shanghai Railway Station and was preparing to take the 929 bus back to her home in Pudong New Area. In the afternoon, with temperatures far exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, she braved the scorching heat and arrived at the bus stop, sweating profusely. During the waiting period for departure, the air conditioning was not turned on in the car. She saw that many waiting passengers were carrying large and small bags, and they were already panting when they got on the bus. According to the time when it was suspended above the dispatch room, there were still nearly 10 minutes left before the train departed. As more and more passengers waited on the train, the temperature inside the train also further increased. "It's just as hot outside the bus, we can only stay inside and endure the discomfort as much as possible." It wasn't until the bus was about to depart that the driver came out of the dispatch room, started the bus, and turned on the air conditioning.
The reporter visited the Shanghai Railway Station bus station several times during the extreme temperature every day to investigate. More than 10 bus routes, including 929, 942, 962, and 823, have their final stops here, allowing a large number of passengers to disembark and transfer to trains to travel to various parts of the country. Passengers from all over the country also travel to various corners of Shanghai through this bus station, making it an important bus hub in Shanghai.
△ Shanghai Railway Station North Square Bus Station.
But as Ms. Li said, the reporter found during the visit that there was no indoor waiting area set up at the Shanghai Railway Station bus station. There is usually a room with seats and air conditioning next to the dispatch room on the platform. However, from the name on the door, it appears to be a "love relay station" provided for outdoor workers. The waiting area outside the bus is usually a queue passage with a roof and iron railings, making it difficult to rest and the temperature is even hotter than that of an air-conditioned bus carriage. Passengers who arrive early usually board the bus directly and wait.
On a waiting bus on route 962, an old lady stood by the back door, holding a simple plastic fan in her hand and constantly fanning the air. Grandma said that she often takes the 962 bus to Yangpu District, but this route keeps getting stuck with the departure time and turning on the air conditioning. In addition, the long interval between departures of this bus makes the waiting experience uncomfortable. On this 962 bus, the reporter and the grandmother waited for a while. It was less than 2 minutes before the driver got on the bus and turned on the air conditioning. A few passengers saw this outside, so they got on the train.
Journalist investigation: The temperature in the first four train stations exceeded 30 ℃
Is it common to turn on the air conditioning while stuck in time? The reporter asked a 929 bus platform dispatcher, who replied that the air conditioning would be turned on 5 minutes before departure and said, "This is our policy, and it is the same for all trains in Shanghai.". This is different from the experience that Ms. Li and the reporter just had.
So, the reporter randomly entered other bus routes waiting for departure. Among them, one of the 817 buses started and turned on the air conditioning 4 minutes in advance, which was the earliest bus discovered by the reporter to turn on the air conditioning. Most of the others turn on the air conditioning 1 to 2 minutes before departure, while a bus on route 942 only starts when it's stuck. There are already about 15 passengers on board, and an old man keeps fanning his fans.
Passengers waiting on the train borrow fans to relieve the heat.
On the 929 route mentioned by Ms. Li, the reporter has found through multiple experiences that the time the driver turns on the air conditioning is relatively random. Sometimes the driver only turns on the air conditioning 1 minute before departure, and sometimes the driver can turn on the air conditioning 5 minutes in advance according to regulations.
After a 929 bus departed for 2 stations, the temperature in the carriage remained above 30 degrees Celsius.
On the day of the reporter's experience, the outdoor temperature was 36 degrees Celsius. The reporter carried a portable thermometer and observed the temperature inside a 929 bus that was almost stuck at departure time before turning on the air conditioning. Before departure, the temperature in the carriage remained stable at 33.6 degrees Celsius. After departing and turning on the air conditioning, the thermometer displayed 32.5 degrees Celsius when entering the next station. At the fourth stop, Qiujiang Road Gongxing Road Station, the thermometer showed exactly 30 degrees Celsius, and it had already been driving for about 10 minutes. It can be seen that due to the lack of pre cooling, the temperature in the first four stops of the bus is maintained at a high level, which inevitably leads to a lack of experience for passengers.
Is limited power the reason for difficulty in pre cooling?
After the complaint was reported, Ms. Li received a response from the relevant unit, stating that the bus has been replaced with a bus and tram. If the air conditioning is turned on in advance, it will consume more electricity, so it can only be turned on when the bus departs. Ms. Li was not satisfied with such a response. She recalled that when taking a fuel powered bus in the past, when she saw passengers waiting to board, the driver would turn on the air conditioning in advance to allow passengers to board the bus coolly. If we switch to a tram, will the service be discounted?
A passenger was sweating profusely on the platform.
Taking advantage of the departure gap, in response to Ms. Li's previous reply that she could not turn on the air conditioning in advance due to power consumption, the reporter also asked the driver as a passenger. The driver told the reporter that currently the 929 bus is a tram, running back and forth four times from morning to evening. It does not require additional charging during operation and will only enter the designated parking lot for charging after completing a full day of operation tasks. Based on the driver's daily driving experience, the battery is generally more abundant, so there is no need to worry about turning on the air conditioning causing insufficient electricity to complete the daily operation tasks. "In the past, during the season when air conditioning was not needed, buses and trams would still have about 60% of their electricity remaining after the end of each day's operation. However, in summer, turning on air conditioning greatly increased power consumption, with the remaining electricity generally around 30% after the end of each day's operation." The reporter also learned that there are indeed some lines with power shortages, and even need to replenish their electricity during operation to complete the entire day.
A train attendant on route 929 also mentioned that due to traffic congestion and other factors, the interval between the train entering the terminal and departing again cannot be controlled. Sometimes, the driver cannot even have a good lunch, and the rest time between them is precious. From this, it can be seen that drivers need to ensure short but sufficient rest, which may also result in a slightly delayed boarding time.
How can the passenger waiting experience be improved? Some citizens believe that even with limited electricity, the hottest period of the day is not long. At the very least, it is necessary to ensure that the air conditioning is turned on 5 minutes in advance for buses departing from the station between noon and 3pm. This limits the time it takes to turn on the air conditioning in advance and has a relatively small impact on battery life. Some citizens also suggest referring to the above ground subway stations on Line 1, Line 11, and other lines, and setting up centralized waiting rooms and installing air conditioning equipment on the waiting platforms. This not only takes into account the feelings of passengers, but also does not excessively waste electricity.
