Declining demand

Despite the bus companies' efforts to improve their services, passenger numbers have declined in recent years.

"The number of passengers in the province's 16 municipalities has been falling as a result of the increasing use of private cars, plus the rise of ride-hailing services and shared bikes," said Ning Qing, deputy director of the Anhui Transportation Administration Bureau.

Sa Ning, of Bengbu Bus, is also concerned. "This year, we have seen about 600,000 passengers every day, 7 percent lower than last year," he said.

About 25 percent of the city's transportation demand is met by buses, according to Sa, who said the figure may fall further.

While Xiang Fengjun, president of Zhenqing Bus in Qingdao, believes the city faces a similar predicament, Lyu, from Bengbu Bus, believes the situation is reversible, partly because the city's suburbs and rural areas are likely to provide growth momentum.

"The number of urban residents is rising and the city's scale is expanding, so more buses will be needed in the future to provide a broader range of services. Moreover, we may still need 300 to 500 extra buses to cover the city's rural villages," he said.

Other efforts to attract passengers include building online platforms that will allow special-interest groups to rent and share buses. A platform has been in operation in Qingdao since 2015, but so far, the number of users has been small, according to Xiang.

Sa, from Bengbu Bus, said his company is planning to adopt the practice soon.

Despite the recent fall in passenger numbers, both men are confident about the sector's long-term prospects.

"We just need more time to foster market demand," Xiang said.