At around 6 p.m. yesterday, Xiao Peng picked up his friend after work by speedboat.
A solution to traffic jams
A young man from Leshan and his friends pooled money to buy a speedboat to deal with rush-hour traffic. Yesterday, it took only 12 minutes to pick up his friend by boat—normally, the drive would take an hour
Regulatory gap
The Leshan maritime authority said there are currently no specific regulations for privately owned recreational speedboats, but they are not allowed in navigable waters. Currently, the maritime department is studying and formulating relevant management rules
Due to severe traffic congestion in the city during work hours, recently, Xiao Peng and eight other young people in Leshan pooled money to buy a speedboat as their mode of transportation. Whether it’s for commuting, shopping, dining, or going out for fun, traffic jams are no longer a problem. Yesterday, Xiao Peng drove the speedboat to pick up his friend after work, and the round trip took just 12 minutes—compared to the usual hour-long drive. In response, the Leshan maritime authority said that there are currently no specific management measures for private purchase and use of recreational speedboats. If such boats enter navigable waters, law enforcement will intervene. Currently, the Leshan maritime authorities are researching and drafting safety management rules for recreational speedboats.
The streets are too congested
Friends pool money to buy a speedboat
At 5:30 p.m. yesterday, by a dock on the Minjiang River behind the Gaodunzi gas station in downtown Leshan, two young men were loading a motor and fuel tank onto a speedboat. Minutes later, the motor and tank were installed, and the speedboat sliced through the waves toward the center of the river, sending up sprays of water.
The owner of the speedboat is 27-year-old Xiao Peng, who goes by the online nickname “Dabao.” Xiao Peng told Chengdu Business Daily that the speedboat isn’t actually his alone—eight other friends also have a “stake.” Each chipped in a bit over a thousand yuan to jointly buy the 16,000-yuan boat.
Speaking about the reason for buying the speedboat, Xiao Peng jokingly referred to himself as a “poor second-generation with no car,” but he has a driver’s license, can drive, and occasionally borrows friends’ cars or takes taxis. “Especially during rush hour, the traffic is just awful, so I never bought a car.” Thinking about how Leshan is surrounded by three rivers and has vast waterways, he came up with the idea of buying a speedboat.
Xiao Peng usually enjoys outdoor sports, and his proposal quickly gained support from several friends. “If your workplace is conveniently located by the river, driving a speedboat to work every day would be so fast,” said Xiao Peng’s friend Xiao Liu. Apart from commuting by speedboat, the group also plans to use it for outings and barbecues.
Picking up a friend after work
Only one-fifth the time of driving
The speedboat had only been purchased two days ago, and yesterday was only its second time on the water. Xiao Peng is gradually getting familiar with the boat’s performance and the conditions of the Minjiang River.
“Some areas have shallow spots where the propeller can easily hit rocks,” Xiao Peng kept giving instructions as his friend Brother Xiong took the helm for a “test drive.” “I used to get so stuck in traffic while driving. This is way better,” Brother Xiong exclaimed, thoroughly enjoying the experience.
“Awesome, right!” Xiao Peng said proudly. “I live in Gaodunzi, just a five-minute walk from this dock. If I want to go to Gaobeimen to shop at Walmart, which is about five kilometers away, while drivers get stuck at Changjiang Market and wait at traffic lights at Zhanggongqiao, I can get there in just three to five minutes.”
At 5:57 p.m. yesterday, Xiao Peng called his friend Xiao Xiong, who works near Gaobeimen, to say he would pick her up after work and they’d have dinner together. The speedboat passed under Leshan’s Second and First Minjiang River Bridges, heading downstream, and reached Gaobeimen in just five minutes. After picking up Xiao Xiong, the boat returned to the original dock, with the entire round trip taking 12 minutes.
“It’s really so convenient. Right now is rush hour. Driving from Gaodunzi to Gaobeimen and back would normally take at least an hour,” Xiao Xiong said with satisfaction. Jokingly, she added, “If it’s inconvenient to go somewhere in the future, I won’t take a taxi—I’ll just call Xiao Peng.”
Maritime authorities
Will regulate recreational speedboats
“Leshan is surrounded by three rivers (the Minjiang, Qingyi, and Dadu), with vast water areas and plenty of docks—speedboats have great potential,” Xiao Peng explained. The boat’s engine can reach a top speed of 50 km/h, and its 24-liter fuel tank allows for trips of 200–300 km.
Yesterday, a Leshan maritime bureau official stated that there are currently no specific regulations for private use of speedboats. As long as they do not enter navigable waters—such as those near the Leshan Giant Buddha—there is generally no intervention. The official noted that with the development of water transport, more individuals are expected to purchase recreational speedboats. Without control, this could endanger the safety of other vessels in navigable waters. Since last year, the Leshan maritime authorities have been researching and drafting the “Leshan Recreational Speedboat Safety Management Regulations” to regulate the use of such boats.