A logical development in passenger transport is a waterborne system for Wuhan, which is in the middle reaches of the Yangtze and thus ideally placed.Zhang Xianfeng, a Wuhan-based urban development specialist who is heavily involved in the planning, said, "Water traffic will shorten travel times. Buses in Wuhan travel at an average speed of 15 kilometers per hour, while boats can travel at 25 to 30 kilometers per hour."
Road traffic is slow in Wuhan, capital of the central Hubei Province, as the hilly city is divided into three parts by the Yangtze and its longest tributary, the Hanshui River. The city also has 166 lakes covering an area of 942.8 square kilometers.
The waterborne system will have 10 commuter routes with a combined length of 149 kilometers to link the city center with four outer districts. The system is expected to transport 60,000 to 100,000 commuters daily.
China View reports that three other Chinese cities – Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou – also plan to turn to the water to solve transport bottlenecks.