Chinese City Goes Viral As Lack of Funds Puts Buses at Risk
- Bus company says a lack of fiscal subsidies added to losses
- Other cities also find it difficult to maintain public service
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A Chinese city with a population of 7.7 million drew public attention Thursday for almost losing its bus services because of a lack of funds, highlighting the financial strain local governments are under after years of spending on Covid controls.
The only bus company in Shangqiu — a city in China’s central Henan province — said Thursday it would halt services from March 1, citing heavy losses that made it difficult to pay salaries or even vehicle insurance. It blamed the situation partly on the insufficient payment of fiscal subsidies from the city’s government.