Using The Subway System
Dec 27th, 2005 under Discover Nanjing
Consider yourself lucky to have the luxury of this subway system! It’s completely new and recently opened late 2005. In 2006, what’s available is the North-South line, but work on the East-West line is already underway. The subway 地铁 [di4tie3] is easy to use. It’s a perfect way to get to the Nanjing Train Station, the Olympic Stadium or even Yuhuatai 雨花台 [yu3hua1tai2].
Here’s a site for a full view of it.
First, to buy the ticket:
1. Go to the ticketing machine, which tells you very clearly how to buy your ticket…
2. Use your finger to point on the destination.
3. The screen will prompt you to indicate how many tickets you want (use your finger to point on the screen.)
4. Pay the machine the amount indicated.
5. Get your ticket (it’s a plastic coin-like token.)
Next, the ride:
1. Enter the subway gantry by flashing your token across the indicated part on the gate…
2. Take the ride.
3. Exit by dropping your token into the ‘coin hole’ (notice that it’s different from the entry gantry…
If you’re going to be a regular user of the subway, check out the monthly ticket 月票 [yue4piao4] which is a card that you can swipe payment off at the subway as well as on buses. Enjoy the ride!
It’s not actually called the ‘yue piao’ any more- now it’s the jinlingtong IC card and in theory YES it can be used in taxis. However, as the taxi driver is responsible for his own takings the vast majority of drivers (as well as the taxi companies) are reluctant to accept the card as the transaction must be processed through Huaxia Bank (not the most efficient service in the world) and it takes the driver 1 week before he sees the fare in cash. To complicate things further the card can only be used to pay the metered fare so the 1 kuai fuel tax and any road tolls must be paid in cash only.
The card can be used in buses, the metro, cross river boats on the Yangtze River, in Suguo convenience stores and at the cigarette counter in SG superstores.
I’ve heard this can also be used for taxis… is this all, some or what?