Major sectors to undergo a sprucing up
SHANGHAI is gearing up for the November China International Import Expo by improving services in sectors such as customs, transport, power, sanitation and catering.
The city’s transport authority announced last week that it will accelerate construction work on 12 roads on the periphery of the National Exhibition and Convention Center, where the event will be held.
The expo will be Shanghai’s biggest event of its kind since the 2010 World Expo.
Meanwhile, projects involving 16 other roads and parking lots will be completed by September, local transport commission said. Construction on part of the Outer Ring Road, or S20 Expressway, is underway.
Information systems for Metro trains, buses and taxis will also be improved.
The efficiency of three Metro lines will be increased along with better management of passengers at key stations. Shuttle bus lines will be added to connect stations and the exhibition center.
The traffic order of surrounding areas will be maintained by a crackdown on illegal taxi services.
Sun Luming, deputy chief of Shanghai Customs, said the agency is setting up special channels for the expo participants who are bringing exhibit goods to the city.
“Security is an important,” Sun said. “Shanghai Customs will set up security plans and install more safety facilities, and improve its emergency network.”
The Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration will apply electronic certification and open green channels for Chinesefunded ships sailing under the flags of foreign countries where they are registered.
The border inspection authority is opening 113 self-service exit and entry inspection channels at Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. Additionally, 26 such channels are being established at Wusong River Harbor and Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal.
Liu Yunlong, deputy general manager of the State Grid Shanghai Electronic Power Co, said a stable power supply will serve the exhibition area. The company has instructed the expo center to rectify 12 problems found in April.
Before expo, the city will complete work on 230 hectares of greenway renovation and 1.6 hectares of new parklands. Twenty-seven scenic spots will be decorated with flowers.
The overhead cables of 43 kilometers of roadways connecting the expo center and its environs will be buried underground.
More than 600 people have already signed up to be volunteers at expo. More than 1,200 have applied. The list includes expats from Hong Kong, Macau, Britain, France, Germany and Australia.
“So far, nearly half of applicants are from universities,” said Chen Liudong, an official with the Shanghai Committee of Chinese Communist Youth League, which is in charge of the volunteer recruitment.
Chen said the applicants hail from all walks of life, including education, architecture, transport and commerce.
Among the applicants is a 67year-old man surnamed Li, who wrote to the league saying he and his wife wanted to become volunteers. Li said he had been a volunteer at the 2010 World Expo in the city.