Recently, the China Railway Customer Service Center launched the "High-speed Rail Pet Transportation Questionnaire" for railway passengers, which attracted everyone's attention. Today (May 11), the China Railway Customer Service Center responded, saying that it will further deepen the feasibility study of high-speed rail pets based on the survey opinions. Experts said that it is necessary to take into account the needs of passenger transport services and pet transportation, and find a balance in terms of capacity and public health.
On May 9, the China Railway Customer Service Center launched the "High-speed Rail Pet Transportation Questionnaire", including 15 questions such as whether passengers have the need to transport pets by high-speed rail, the type of pets transported, pricing standards, and protective measures.
High-Speed Rail Pet Transportation Questionnaire / Sourced from the Internet
In interviews on the streets, most of the citizens agreed. "My hometown is Luoyang, Henan, and the problem of consignment of pet dogs was involved during the Spring Festival. The bus was too long, and the plane couldn't find a suitable flight, so I waited until a relative drove back to Beijing to bring the dog back. If you have a high-speed train, it will take 3 or 4 hours to arrive, which will be particularly convenient. "I don't have any objection, but you may need to have a specific compartment or a special place for your pet."
Some members of the public are concerned that pet transportation services will occupy limited high-speed rail transportation resources. Mr. Feng, a citizen, said: "Let's focus on people and give more space to people who need to go home." There are many other ways for pets to be fostered, and you can also ask someone to feed them at home. ”
Relevant regulations on carrying animals on the train/screenshot from the railway 12306 client
The relevant regulations of the official website of Railway 12306 / screenshot from the official website of Railway 12306
According to the current railway transport regulations, except for guide dogs with work certificates, as well as fish, shrimp, crabs, shellfish, and molluscs packaged as food and packaged in closed boxes, no live animals are allowed to be carried on board, but some pets that meet the requirements can be checked or escorted.
The 12306 customer service staff said that edible seafood animals can be carried if they are well packed in sealed boxes. No other live animals can be carried at this time.
The staff of China Railway Express Company said that at present, only some ordinary speed trains can be checked in pets, and high-speed rail is not. The premise of consignment of pets on ordinary speed trains is that the train needs to have a luggage compartment, and if the distance is more than 200 kilometers or there is a need to feed pets in the middle of the journey, it is necessary to handle the escort on board.
The staff of China Railway Express said: "If you want to transport pets, you must first make sure that there is a luggage car at the station, and then I will tell you the train number, you buy a ticket for this train, and give the pet a quarantine certificate." We need your ticket, ID card, quarantine certificate for your pet, and a cage for your pet, and go to the station 2 hours before the train departs. ”
Pet consignment/originating from the Internet
Getting pets on high-speed rail involves a complex balance of capacity, safety, public health, and other issues. China Railway Customer Service Center responded yesterday (11th) that the next step will be to further deepen the feasibility study of high-speed rail consignment pets based on the survey opinions.
Li Hongchang, a researcher at the Sustainable Transportation Innovation Center and deputy dean of the School of Economics and Management of Beijing Jiaotong University, said that high-speed rail pet consignment should take into account the needs of passenger transport and pet transportation. In the case of meeting the basic travel needs of passengers, the balance is the limited space resources on the high-speed rail. For example, the space for the conductor on duty, the space for the dining car, etc., can be opened. In addition, there are many people with allergies, so it is necessary to pay attention to not allowing pets to come into contact with passengers during the check-in process, etc., and the basic feelings and needs of the public must be considered.
On the issue of pricing, the "pet high-speed rail ticket" should find a balance between sustainable operation and user demand. Li Hongchang suggested that Air China's pet consignment pricing be used as an example, which is charged by multiplying the full adult economy class fare by the price of 1.5%/kg. High-speed rail can be calculated according to the full fare of the second-class seat multiplied by a certain coefficient, and then calculated according to the weight of the pet. The pet owner's willingness to pay also needs to be investigated, and it needs to be rigorously argued and analyzed before the specific pricing method can be determined.
He Xin, an associate researcher at the Shanghai Museum of Natural History, suggested that the high-speed rail pet transportation service can learn from some guidelines for airline consignment, and can also be expanded to rare species rescue in the future. There must be some corresponding procedures in advance, including the certificate of inspection and quarantine, etc. In fact, there is a certain risk in pet consignment, and we also need to let pet owners know in advance to clarify the responsibilities of both parties. In the future, for example, for the rescue of some rare species, it may be better to use a method similar to that of high-speed rail pet consignment.
Reporter Wang Nan, Editor Sun Yuan, Editor-in-Chief Cheng Yan