People buy subway tickets at automated machines at Sanyuanqiao Station on Line 10. The current fare for Beijing subway tickets is a two yuan per trip flat rate. [Photo: Imagine China]

Beijing's municipal government has said the planned price hike for the capital's public transportation system will go into effect on December 28.

Under the new pricing scheme, for a single journey on the city's subway, the fare for a trip of no more than six kilometers is three yuan ($US 0.49).

Traveling a distance between six and 12 kilometers will cost a passenger four yuan. Beyond that, one yuan per 10 kilometer will be added to the total fare for a single subway trip spanning between 12 and 32 kilometers.

If the distance of a single subway trip goes beyond 32 kilometers, the passenger will be charged one additional yuan for every 20 kilometers traveled. There is no price ceiling for how much a single-journey fare can cost.

As for buses, the price starts at two yuan ($US 0.33) for the first 10 kilometers. One more yuan will be charged for every five kilometers traveled beyond 10 kilometers.

When traveling by bus, public transportation card holders get 50 percent off a single-journey fare, while student carrying transportation cards will get 75 percent off bus fare for a single trip.

Also, passengers who spend 100 yuan within a month on public transportation will enjoy a 20 percent discount on exceeded fare prices up to 150 yuan. After reaching 150 yuan, they will see fare prices cut by 50 percent for the exceeded part. Fare prices are reverted back to their original amount at the start of the next month.

Currently, the city's subway fare is two yuan for a single journey, no matter the distance. The fare for the majority of Beijing's buses is one yuan, but card holders get a 60-percent discount on bus fares.

The new fare system was created during a city government hearing two months ago.