China expects 9 bln passenger trips in upcoming travel rush

BEIJING -- China is expected to see 9 billion passenger trips during the annual Spring Festival travel rush, the Ministry of Transport said Tuesday.

The travel rush, usually a period of high transportation demand as people return home for family reunions, will last from Jan 26 to March 5 this year.

Passenger trips via railway, highway, waterways, and civil aviation are expected to hit 1.8 billion during the period, Vice Minister of Transport Li Yang told a press conference.

About 80 percent of the trips will be self-driving trips, which are likely to hit a new high, Li said.

Li said that the country is facing more pressure on logistics and work safety as demand for energy, daily supplies, and agricultural products surges.

Hence, a special work team has been established by the ministry along with various departments to oversee transport during the travel rush.

The work team pledged efforts to strengthen the monitoring of and coordination among different transportation sectors such as railway, highway, waterway and civil aviation, and make sure the transport capacity is sufficient to meet demands.

Safety supervision will also be enhanced to ensure that personnel, vehicles, ships, and aircraft are kept in good condition, Li said, adding that refined plans for dealing with inclement weather and massive passenger flow will be made to improve emergency response capabilities.