A Decade of Partnership: Putian Public Transport and Golden Dragon Drive the "Bus+" Strategy

This year marks the 1,065th anniversary of Mazu's birth. It is reported that since the beginning of the year, over 1.05 million Mazu devotees from various places have traveled to Meizhou Island, sparking a fervent movement known as "Mazu from all over the world returning to their ancestral home." Among them, the brand-new Golden Dragon 8.5-meter electric buses deployed by Putian Public Transport have provided the warmest service to numerous believers and tourists. The buses are adorned with images of the Mazu Ancestral Temple complex and slogans such as "Great Love of Mazu, the Ancestor is in Meizhou" and "It's Good to Be in Meizhou Island," creating a unique "Mazu Bus Line" with the characteristic of "Bus + Culture and Tourism" publicity.

Visitors to Meizhou Island can immediately feel the strong Mazu cultural atmosphere upon arrival. This is just a snapshot of the diversified public transportation system that Putian Public Transport has been actively exploring in recent years under the "Bus + Life" model. Recently, Commercial Vehicle News visited Putian Public Transport to explore its experience and measures in meeting the increasingly diversified and personalized travel needs of the public.

In the fields of culture and tourism construction, in addition to the "blue buses" on Meizhou Island, Putian Public Transport has also launched a bus line themed around fire prevention culture this year. Fire safety education has been brought into the bus cabins, using buses as a platform to carry out fire safety publicity and education. In addition, the Red Bus Line 207, which supports the integration of culture and tourism, has one of its stops at the former site of the Red Army's 207th Regiment, a provincial-level patriotism education base in Fujian. These measures have made Putian Public Transport's steps in implementing the "Bus+" strategy firm and composed.

Taking the "Mazu Bus Line" as an example, since 2015, Putian Public Transport has been the first to purchase 36 Golden Dragon 8.5-meter electric buses, of which 26 were deployed on Meizhou Island, greatly improving the travel experience of tourists on the island. Chen Zhujin, the manager of the Safety and Vehicle Technology Department of Putian Public Transport, told Commercial Vehicle News that the initial deployment of Golden Dragon electric vehicles was a huge success and attracted great attention from peers across the province. "We have been using these buses for eight years," he said.

In October 2024, Putian Public Transport purchased another 20 Golden Dragon 8.5-meter electric buses, which were put into service on routes such as Line 361 from the urban area to Meizhou Island and Line Meizhou 1 on the island. With low floors and single-step entry, it is more convenient for the elderly and children to get on and off the bus. The large-sized windows allow passengers to better enjoy the scenery of Meizhou Island while riding. Coupled with the ingenious integration and careful display of various Mazu cultural elements with the vehicles, the "Mazu Bus Line" has now become an important vehicle for showcasing the tourism charm of Meizhou Island. It not only enhances the travel experience of tourists but also promotes the spread of Mazu culture and ecological protection.

This has been made possible by the joint efforts of Putian Public Transport and Golden Dragon. Since the partnership with Golden Dragon in 2015 and moving towards the goal of 100% electrification, Putian Public Transport has created its own characteristics, strengthened its advantages, and consolidated its brand. Whether it is strong customization, brand creation, service improvement, or cost-saving, Golden Dragon has always been there over the past decade. As Chen Zhujin said: "Golden Dragon buses are technologically mature, economical, and practical, with good after-sales service. They have left a deep impression on the enterprise and become the basis for long-term cooperation." According to statistics, the proportion of Golden Dragon buses in Putian Public Transport has exceeded 70%.