To conduct safety checks on two bridges over the Yangtze River, the transportation department of Nanjing in Jiangsu province ordered buses on several routes not to ply with full passenger load. This forced many passengers to be offloaded or being barred from boarding buses at bus depots, which, in turn, prompted them to lodge complaints with the transportation department. Hence, the authorities' attempt to enforce the "one person, one seat" policy ended within a few hours later, which shows that the decision-makers didn't do a reality check before issuing the order, says an article on 163.com. Excerpts:

Most of the major cities in China don't have enough buses to serve all passengers. During morning and evening rush hours, one would be lucky to squeeze into a bus, because most of them are overcrowded. The "one person, one seat" policy is thus not expected to work in any city.

The decision-makers in Nanjing must have issued the order without analyzing the ratio between passengers and the capacity of buses. The move, though well-intentioned, not only wasted people's time, but also damaged the authorities' credibility.

Government officials can easily avoid taking such rash decisions if they care to leave the comfort of their offices and try to lead the life of an ordinary citizen just for a single day. For instance, the head of the transportation department in Suzhou, Jiangsu, took a ride on a bus without an air-conditioner last year. After being soaked in perspiration during the bus ride, he promised to install air-conditioners in all the buses. If government officials have firsthand experience of social realities, they can push forward important policies much easily.

Decision-makers should try to understand the problems of the common people by talking to them before passing orders, which should be rational and practical.