Shenzhen is one of the fastest growing cities in China. The population of Shenzhen is currently just over 12 million but is expected to reach over 15 million by 2035. With such a rapid increase in population the city has to ensure that its citizens’ mobility options remain accessible and available. As with China’s other 160 cities with a population of more than a million people, the secret to keeping Shenzhen moving is to place similar emphasis on all transport modes, but at the heart of any smart operation is one long word but simple ethos: citizen-centricity.

Li Zi Xiao, Huawei Technologies’ Global General Director of Land Transport and Logistics has been working closely with the city on its traffic management operations and, he was able to provide a fascinating insight into how this rapidly evolving city manages its traffic.

“In terms of its traffic management operations, the City really thought about its citizens – it’s not just the vehicles that need managing, it’s the people too. Traffic management also encompasses the Shenzhen Metro, the city’s rapid transit system and the fourth longest in the world. The latest extensions to the network opened in October 2020, and there is now 411 kilometres (255 miles) of track operating across 11 lines with 283 stations. By 2030 the Metro will comprise 8 express and 24 non-express lines totalling 1,142 kilometers of track.”

With the citizen in mind
The City of Shenzhen is ensuring that there is equilibrium between its rapidly increasing population and its need to be mobile.

Says Li:  “The information technology sector has played a major part in this, regarding smart traffic management operations, and helped significantly in the efforts to improve the city’s traffic levels. We now have all kinds of public comprehensive command centres and we gather all the public transport mode information together in order to manage it efficiently. More than 20,000 video cameras have been installed to monitor the roadway traffic and help Shenzhen manage its operations successfully.”