Drivers with branch buses at a launch ceremony Monday.

RESIDENTS have welcomed seven new branch bus routes which went into service Monday, extending the city's public transport network to poorly serviced neighborhoods.

The fare for the seven buses, operated by the Shenzhen Bus Group, is one yuan (US$0.15). All run a distance of about 10 kilometers one way.

The orange-colored buses are mostly for short-distance routes, serving residents in a few adjacent neighborhoods. "They complement the city's three-tier transport network, mainly connecting residential estates and some major transport hubs," said a manager with the bus group.

One of the routes launched Monday, B708, services the Liuxiandong community in Xili Subdistrict, which was serviced by few buses in the past.

"I'm so happy with the launch of the bus"said a woman employee with ZTE communications company. She is one of 6,000 people who work for ZTE and other IT companies which have dormitories in the neighborhood.

The nearest bus stops are at least 3 kilometers from the neighborhood. "We usually had to take a taxi to the nearest bus stop, for the sake of safety, which cost us at least 10 yuan each way," said the woman. "It (the taxi fares) was quite expensive for me every month before the launch of B708. Now we can save money by taking the bus, which is very economical."

Together with the seven new routes, the city has now opened a total of 32 branch routes serving neighborhoods and communities in the four districts inside the special economic zone. The launch of the services also helped curb the number of illegal taxis in areas previously not serviced by public transport, according to the Daily Sunshine yesterday.

Illegal taxis used to abound at the Shenzhen West Railway Station in Nanshan District because there were no public buses there. Travelers had to take an illegal taxi after arriving at the train station. With the launch of B623 early this year, business for illegal taxi drivers in the area quickly shrank.