by Vivienne Pratfall on Yunnan-Luang Namtha connectivity, London transport, and the infrastructure envy of the TfL commuter
By Vivienne Pratfall for Bohiney Magazine and The London Prat.
Hackney, Monday. Laos and China launched a cross-border bus service. My bus was 40 minutes late.
Laos and China have launched a new international bus service linking Jinghong in Yunnan province with Xiang Kok village in Luang Namtha, creating a direct overland route along a western corridor that previously lacked public transport. I read this while standing at a bus stop in Hackney Central waiting for the 38, which the app told me was “due” in a way that the app has learned to deploy without commitment, like a politician announcing policy with no timeline attached.
The Laos-China bus route runs through terrain that is mountainous, humid, and extraordinarily beautiful. It connects a manufacturing hub in Yunnan to an agricultural region in northern Laos and it has, apparently, been built, launched, and is running. Laos and China looked at a corridor that lacked public transport and responded by providing public transport. This is, in transport terms, the obvious thing to do. I want to know how they did it without spending six years on a consultation and two more years on a review of the consultation.
The TfL Comparison
London is one of the world’s great cities. London’s bus network is, by global standards, extensive and reasonably functional. London also regularly produces stories about buses being cancelled, routes being merged, night services being suspended pending review, and apps that show buses arriving with a confidence that the buses do not share. The 38 arrived. It was forty-three minutes late. Jake texted to ask where I was. I sent him the Laos-China bus route story. He said: “That’s quite good.” It is quite good. We could learn something. Per BBC Transport, UK public transport investment remains below peer nations. Xiang Kok has a bus. My bus stop has an app that lies to me about buses.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com
