The first five days of each month used to be the time to buy the paper-based monthly bus pass in Beijing, but not any more. Starting next month, an automatic fare collection (AFC) system will be introduced, marking the end of the 81-year-old paper public transportation ticket.

Beijing started to issue the old monthly bus pass in 1925 when the pass was a privilege enjoyed only by social elites. Today the pass has become a welfare benefit enjoyed by around 1.1 million commuters in the capital, most on low incomes. At a maximum cost of 40 yuan (US$4.80) per month, it entitles the pass holder to enjoy unlimited travel during the month.

Wang Xiaohong, a 50-year-old Beijing native who has enjoyed the monthly pass since childhood, said she feels nostalgic about the paper-based monthly bus pass and will keep one as a souvenir.

"But thankfully, only the pass itself is going, not the monthly pass system," said Wang with great relief.

The to-be-launched AFC transportation system will include the monthly pass system, issuing five types of stored-value swipe cards, all with the name of Beijing Municipal Administration and Communications Card or colloquially, yikatong, meaning "one card pass".

There will be monthly bus cards for students (20 yuan/US$2.40) and non-student (45 yuan/US$5.40), monthly subway cards (60 yuan/US$7.20), monthly bus-subway cards (90 yuan/US$10.80) and a regular card.

However, with the monthly pass system maintained, the IC scheme has become so complicated that many doubt the promised high efficiency it is supposed to bring.

The inclusion of the monthly pass in the new scheme is called by many netizens "a great compromise" to the old paper-ticket scheme, which may in turn jeopardize the general performance of the whole system.

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