A new long-distance bus station, one of the three main transport centers in the city, should be finished in August 2005.
The underground portion of the new station in Xuhui District has just been completed. The above ground structure is expected to be finished by the end of this year. As a key project approved by the Chinese Ministry of Communications and the Shanghai municipal government, the southern bus station will cost 200 million yuan (US$24 million) to build.
The new station will cover 17,900 square meters and will be able to handle up to 20,000 passengers each day. It will be equipped with intelligent networks for ticket selling, logistics, scheduling and Internet service.
Similar to an airport, it will also feature business services, banks and restaurants.
About 30 percent of the city's travelers choose to travel by bus, second only to rail transport.
When the city's three hubs, the south bus station, the north-square station  and the Pudong bus station, are finished, Shanghai should be able to meet increasing passenger demand.