Dubbed as the world's biggest annual human migration, this year's travel spree is expected to witness 2.91 billion trips, a 3.6 percent year-on-year increase.
Deputy director of China's National Development and Reform Commission, Lian Weiliang, says that the 100-million increase of passenger trips over last year has put great pressure on the transport system and related services.
This comes even as the growth rate of passenger trips has recently slowed down.
Lian says that it remains quite difficult to get a ticket for popular sections at peak times, even with the newly added transport capacity.
"Last year 20 new high-speed rail lines were put into operation, adding three thousand kilometers to the national high-speed rail system, reaching 19-thousand kilometers in total. But during peak times and for popular sections, demand still outpaces supply. Also, with the increasing living standards, passengers' demand for traveling by air grows rapidly. This year's daily flights will reach 11,700, 14 percent higher than that of last year."
In response to the rising passenger flows, Wang Shuiping with the Ministry of Transport said authorities are coordinating different transport means to improve capacity.
"Besides the daily 3142 fixed trains, 400 extra trains will be added. Moreover, 846-thousand coaches will be put into operation during the travel rush, offering nearly 22 million seats. Each day 2.6 million bus trips will be made by road. 20-thousand ships will be available with one million seats.
And the civil aviation system is expected to offer 520 thousand flights, up seven percent year-on-year."
During the past Spring Festival travel rush, ticket scalping, overload, and fatigue driving were some of the problems plaguing travellers. Lian Weiliang promised to crack down on illegal acts to protect passengers' rights.
"We will punish those who scalp train tickets, incite passengers to create a disturbance, and those who are responsible for overload and overspeed. We will record their behavior and share the records with related departments; We will exert limits on their administrative licensing, bond issuing and financial support. Those who violate regulations repeatedly will be added to a black list."
Lian said the extremely low temperatures in the north and heavy precipitation in the south resulting from severe El Nino this winter, as well as serious smog will also create challenges for the "Chunyun" this year.
Source: CRI
from China Travel & Tourism News http://ift.tt/1iB6EFm
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