The integrated passenger-freight-mail transport mode has transformed rural logistics in China, helping to narrow the urban-rural divide and boost rural revitalization, a senior official of the State Post Bureau said on Sunday.
The integrated model, which utilizes rural passenger buses to transport mail and parcels alongside passengers, has emerged as a crucial solution to the "first and last kilometer" challenges in rural logistics, according to Liao Jinrong, deputy director of the bureau.
"The integrated development of rural passenger transport, freight transport, and mail delivery is a key driver in advancing comprehensive rural revitalization. In recent years, the Chinese government has placed strong emphasis on bringing express delivery services to villages -- a move that has significantly narrowed the urban-rural gap in access to online shopping. This integrated model effectively ensures the stability of rural passenger transport, facilitates smooth logistics and distribution in rural areas, and provides an efficient solution to the 'first and last kilometer' challenges of postal delivery services into and out of villages," said Liao at a press conference in Beijing.
The official noted that the program has gained strong policy support from multiple departments, including the Ministry of Transport, the State Post Bureau, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
"To date, this initiative has made substantial progress and yielded clear results. More than 1,500 county-level administrative regions across our country have launched integrated passenger-freight-mail services, with over 13,000 routes now open and more than 145,000 service stations established. Annually, these routes transport over one billion mail items and express parcels. By leveraging rural passenger buses as a 'shared ride' for parcels, the model has significantly improved delivery speed and reduced costs for getting express shipments into villages," said Liao.
Integrated passenger-freight-mail transport mode transforms rural logistics in China: official
