20 Million Passengers in One Day: How China Handles the Return Flow During May Holidays
The return peak fell on Monday — the country's transport system is operating at full capacity.
The May holidays in China are entering their final stretch. Millions of people are returning to major cities ahead of the workday on Tuesday. This report is from CCTV+.
The May holiday period continues in China. Monday — the fourth day of the five-day break — became a day of mass returns. The holidays end on Tuesday, and millions of people are rushing back home to resume work.
The national railway network is expected to have served 20.3 million passengers on Monday. That is a colossal number. To handle such a flow, an additional 1,641 passenger trains were scheduled.
As the holidays draw to a close, passenger traffic is gradually shifting toward the return direction. The main flow is moving from small and medium-sized cities, as well as tourist destinations, into large metropolitan areas — Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen.
On the country's highways, approximately 63 million car trips are expected on Monday. Traffic remains at a high level. Most car trips are for medium and long distances.
The peak of return traffic is forecast between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Congestion may occur on key sections: ring roads, main city entry routes, access roads to scenic spots, and provincial border checkpoints.
As for water transport, an estimated 1.624 million passengers were carried across the country on Monday. This is slightly lower than Sunday's figures. To help manage the return travel peak, the Ministry of Transport has instructed ride-hailing platforms to increase their capacity during rush hours.
The Ministry is also coordinating rail, aviation, road passenger transport, and urban transit systems. The main goal is to ensure transportation services for passengers arriving and departing during nighttime hours.
The holidays are coming to an end. China's transport system is operating at full capacity to ensure that everyone returns home on time and without incident.
