A four-hour commute - on a good day

A packed bus leaves Yanjiao for downtown Beijing in the early morning, Jan 12, 2015. [Photo by Song Wei/chinadaily.com.cn]

"Could you wait for the next one?"

"No, please! I'm running late," a young woman says loudly as she elbows her way to cram herself into a packed 814 bus. The front door somehow manages to close, and the bus finally sets off.

It's 6:30 am in Yanjiao, around 40 km east of Beijing, and vehicles bound for the capital leave every few minutes, each departing with a full load. Those lucky enough to grab a seat doze; the rest strap-hang all the way. For those waiting on minus-degree-Celsius winter mornings the only thing that matters is to get on board.

Like many, Zhao Wei sets off to work early every morning. He gets up at 6:00, arrives at the bus stop by 6:30 after a quick wash but without breakfast.

"Only by setting out this early can I ensure not being late for work," says Zhao, a 32-year-old office worker who undertakes a round trip of about 90 km each day.

The bus station near where Zhao lives is not the start of the route which means he has to force his way into the vehicle. If there is room for both feet he feels lucky. Most times, he is unable to stand in one position all the way to the city.

Zhao should arrive in Beijing in around an hour, where he will switch to the subway for the final leg of his journey to the northern part of the capital. Each day, he spends four hours commuting – if the traffic is light. On bad days it can stretch to five or more.

The fear of gridlock on the road means he rarely slows down, even after finishing work. Hurrying out of the subway station, he takes a few more strides before quickly joining the queue of hundreds of Yanjiao-bound commuters at a bus station in Beijing"s Central Business District.

Queuing for seats usually takes 30 minutes or so. For each passenger who boards a bus, another two join the line.