Beijing-Tianjin All-In-One Card valid both inBeijing and Tianjin has been in use since August,2008. Card-holders from Tianjin enjoy thesame price discount as the local passengers inBeijing. It is convenient for people to commutebetween the two cities with the card.

In order to accelerate the integration of Beijingand Tianjin and make it convenient for peopleto commute between the two cities, Beijing-Tianjin All-In-One Card is issued in the jointeffort of Tianjin and Beijing. The card-holdersare able to enjoy the card service and the sameprice discount in the card-valid services inboth cities.

Xiao Liu, who works in Beijing while living inTianjin, has to commute between the two citiesfrequently. It used to take him a long time totransit among public bus, underground and taxi.Beijing-Tianjin All-In-One Card makes it convenientand economical for him to pay: 60 percentdiscount for Beijing urban bus service, two yuanfor any single trip by underground, 5 percentdiscount for Tianjin urban bus service, 5 percentdiscount for lightrail, just to name a few.

On August 7, Beijing-Tianjin All-In-One Cardwas launched. At eight o’clock in the morning,there was a long queue of more than twentyresidents waiting outside a post office in HepingDistrict to get one of the cards. Many ofthem are Tianjin residents who commute toBeijing on a regular basis.

Beijing and Tianjin, two neighboring metropolises,have always been the focus of attention inthe aspect of economic development of NorthChina. Beijing is defined to be capital of thecountry, an international city, a famous culturalcity and a livable city; while in 2006, the StateCouncil defined Tianjin as an international portcity, economic center of North China and ecocitywhile endorsing Tianjin City General Plan.

On August 1, 2008, Beijing-Tianjin Inter-CityExpress Railway, the country’s first world-classinter-city express railway with China’s own intellectualproperty rights, was brought into operation.Connected by the express railway, the twometropolises of Beijing and Tianjin are developingtowards agglomeration and integration witheach other, making it possible for people tocommute regularly between the two cities.

Tianjin Urban All-In-One Card Co., Ltd. andBeijing Urban Transport All-In-One Card Co.,Ltd. have issued Beijing-Tianjin All-In-One cardin joint efforts. As a result, residents of thetwo cities are able to enjoy each other’s urbantransport networks with the card. Card-holderscan access recharge service at any rechargestation established by either companies, andit is convenient for them to travel between thetwo cities to watch matches and tour the cities.This service will benefit regional economicdevelopment and economic integration.

According to sources, Tianjin will graduallyfurther expand the scope of the card applicationto services of parking, toll, news stand, entranceticket of tourism spots, small food andbeverage business, fees for public undertakingsand so on so forth. The move will quicken thepace of the services connecting to those ofother areas.

The all-in-one card system of Tianjin urban areawas brought into service in June, 2006. Till now,there have been more than two million cards issuedand the number is estimated to reach fourmillion at the end of 2008, which will effectivelyincrease the efficiency of the public service industry.The cross-industry card service will offergreat convenience to the residents.