Vegetable farmers wait to take the special No 252 bus in Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Aug. 9, 2024 -- A special bus which carries more farm produce than passengers in Guiyang, Guizhou province, has recently went viral online, drawing praise from the public for its unique role in transporting local farmers and their fresh produce to the city center.

Launched in June, the tailored bus was an upgrade to the regular No 252 bus to better meet the needs of farmers along the route to head downtown to vend vegetables and fruits.

The regular No 252 bus route links a number of villages and towns with a large population of farmers in Wudang district with downtown Guiyang. As more local farmers prefer to catch the first bus to go downtown to sell their produce, often in bulky baskets, the first bus became increasingly crowded.

Vegetable farmers take the special No 252 bus in Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou province. [Photo/people.cn]

In response, the bus operating company introduced the special bus, which departs 10 minutes ahead of the first regular No 252 bus and stops only at four stations that have the greatest number of farmers nearby. This arrangement not only differentiates peak travel times from those of city commuters but also enables farmers to arrive at their destination earlier.

On July 12, a detachable shelf was installed on the special line to accommodate more goods.

"Prior to the launch of this special bus, I had to wake up at midnight to carpool with fellow villagers to reach downtown. The vehicle was usually small, had limited cargo capacity, and charged expensive fares. Now everything has become much more convenient," said Xie Dalin, a vegetable farmer.

Since its operation, this special bus has served nearly 7,000 farmers, aiding in the transfer of almost 100 tons of vegetables and fruits.