"It sounds like a good policy. But for people who like me work at flexible hours, the new service's advantages over traditional public transportation are limited. And once there are more customized buses on the ground during the morning peak, it may worsen traffic jams in the morning."

Chen Hao, 29, a private business owner who has flexible working hours. He prefers traditional public transportation during off-peak hours.

"Whether people welcome the customized bus service or not depends on their income level. It might be attractive to people who have flexible budgets. But this service doesn't appeal to me because, on my current income, I can't afford transportation that costs more than the bus or subway."

Wu Erzhou, 26, a human resources employee who spends 45 minutes on public transportation from his home in the Fengtai district to his office in the Dongzhimen area.

"I don't think I'd need the service because there are shuttle buses between my home and workplace. The lack of detailed description about routes and time schedules makes this service not very practical to me."

Yao Xin, 40, who works in the Guomao area. She spends an hour getting from her home to office every morning.

(China Daily USA 07/18/2013 page5)