China's transport sector handled 17.77 billion cross-regional trips in the first three months of this year, official data showed on Wednesday.

The figure marked a 2.2 percent increase compared to the same period in 2025, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Specifically, 16.38 billion trips were made by road, while 58.56 million were made via waterways, the ministry said.

During the first quarter, the country also recorded an increase in commercial freight transport activity, with total freight volume hitting 13.19 billion tonnes. The figure represented a 4.1 percent year-on-year rise.

In breakdown, the road freight volume was 9.88 billion tonnes, a year-on-year increase of 4 percent; and the waterway freight volume was 2.03 billion tonnes, a year-on-year increase of 5.7 percent.

In the first quarter, the port cargo throughput hit 4.39 billion tonnes, up 4 percent year on year. Of this total, domestic and foreign trade cargo throughput grew by 2.4 percent and 7.6 percent, respectively.

Fixed-asset investment in the country's transport sector totaled 651.9 billion yuan (about 94.98 billion U.S. dollars) during the period, according to the ministry.

"In the first quarter of 2026, China's transportation economy was generally stable and got off to a good start. Passenger turnover continued to be strong, international freight transportation remained resilient, and port foreign trade container throughput achieved double-digit growth," said Cai Jianhua, head of the Statistics Division of the Comprehensive Planning Department of the Ministry of Transport.