Recently, visitors to the historic Qianmen Street in Beijing were delighted to find replicas of old trams serving the newly renovated shopping area.
For passengers with infants, however, the pleasure was short-lived; babies in arms were charged the full fare of 20 yuan.
The trams, which were first introduced in Beijing in 1924, were removed from this once busy shopping street 42 years ago. Buses and trolleys ruled the four-lane road until late 2006, when the Chongwen district government closed the street for a complete facelift.
When it opened again last year, people were pleased to find the street restored to what it looked almost a century ago. Two trams, replicas of the old ones, gave visitors the feeling of riding through old Beijing, although the ride lasts only 10 minutes and covers barely 800 meters.
Everyone agreed that charging full fare for infants was preposterous. On Monday, the management apologized and announced that children shorter than 1.2 m would ride for free.
The trams on Qianmen are just one example of a problem that is familiar to all parents. Taking children along - to tourist sites, cultural events, or on just everyday errands - is in everyone's interest, but it can be expensive.
Most public venues in China use height, not age, as a basis for determining who pays full fare. But height can be misleading.
For one thing, children now grow up faster than they used to. Ministry of Health records show that 6-year-old boys in China's cities were 5.3 cm taller on average in 2006 than in 1975; 6-year-old girls were 5 cm taller. In suburban areas, the increase was even more dramatic: 7.6 cm for boys and 7.5 cm for girls.
Still, the height standard has generally remained unchanged. In many cities, children under 1.1 m ride public buses and enter parks, museums, or cinemas for free - a practice that started decades ago. That means that quite a few 6-year-olds who are taller than 1.1 m have to pay at least half-price.
The national railway recently raised the bar by 10 centimeters, from 1.4 m to 1.5 m. From Dec 21, children between 1.1 m and 1.5 m have been paying half price. This is still not satisfactory to many people, especially parents whose children are taller than others their age.
Not surprisingly, some people have suggested that ticket prices be based on a child's age, as is common in many foreign countries.
When my daughter was 8, I took her and a boy about her age on a bus ride from Saint Patrick Street to downtown Ottawa. At one stop, three local teenagers boarded the bus. One of them was about 1.6 m tall. The bus conductor stopped him and asked him to produce his ID; then he let the boy ride for free. We were amazed, but realized that, despite his height, the boy must have been under 12 years old.
It has also been suggested that the government impose a uniform standard for deciding who gets a discount. This is not feasible, since every public venue and service has its own interest to protect.
However, more uniformity in deciding who pays full price would benefit everyone. Fair pricing will encourage parents to take children out and expose them to nature as well as to a variety of art, cinematic and theatrical events. These are essential for opening their minds, broadening their knowledge, or simply allowing them to enjoy the wonders of the world.
E-mail: lixing@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily 01/15/2009 page8)
