On May 6, reporters learned from the Huaihua Municipal Bureau of Transportation that this year’s May Day holiday coincided with the spring break for primary and secondary schools across regions, driving robust travel demand for tourism, family visits and leisure activities.The city recorded a total passenger departure volume of 504,800 trips, a year-on-year increase of 2.91%.

Breakdown by transport mode:

Conventional railway: 57,600 passenger trips, up 3.41% year on year;

High-speed railway: 152,000 passenger trips, down 5.55% year on year;

Civil aviation: 2,796 passenger trips, a year-on-year drop of 53.64%;

Highway transport: 218,000 passenger trips, rising by 1.22% year on year;

Water transport: 73,900 passenger trips, surging 42.17% year on year.

The expressway traffic volume reached 1.3577 million vehicles, a year-on-year decrease of 5.54%.

Travel peaks and sub-peaks fell on the first and last days of the holiday, with 123,500 and 105,700 passenger departures respectively. Meanwhile, travel picked up notably ahead of the holiday, registering 107,500 passenger trips on April 30, indicating that a large number of travelers chose to set off early to avoid rush-hour crowds.

Compared with last year's May Day holiday, the overall passenger transport volume saw a slight increase this year, yet its growth rate slowed markedly. Structural differentiation in travel modes has intensified. While passenger flows of high-speed rail and civil aviation declined, waterway passenger transport registered robust growth. This reflects the markedly enhanced appeal of water tourism projects such as the Wushui River night cruise and the Yuanshui River Gallery.

To ensure stable and orderly passenger transport services during the holiday, the city’s transportation sector conducted dynamic analysis of passenger flow in advance, kept real-time track of travel peaks, scaled up transport capacity for key areas, routes and time periods, and reserved sufficient transport resources to cope with sudden passenger surges, fully safeguarding safe and smooth travel for the public throughout the holiday.

Meanwhile, focusing on key sectors including highway operation, waterborne traffic, road transportation and urban passenger transport, authorities carried out in-depth investigation and rectification, strengthened emergency duty arrangements, and made every effort to prevent safety accidents.

It is reported that major transport hubs in Huaihua, including Huaihua South High-speed Railway Station, Huaihua Comprehensive Passenger Transport Hub and railway stations, have continuously optimized key service procedures at service desks. For vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, the sick, the disabled and pregnant women, authorities have improved the efficiency of reservation and response, set up dedicated green love passages, and provided whole-journey guidance services.

At stations with heavy passenger flow, additional security check lanes and self-service ticket checking terminals have been put into use. Intensified efforts have been made to guide passenger flow and maintain order in key areas such as waiting halls and entry and exit gates, and transfer procedures have been optimized to ensure safe and convenient travel for passengers. At major passenger stations, close coordination with transport authorities has been maintained, alongside better linkage with public transport, taxis and other travel services, to facilitate seamless and efficient transfers for travelers.

(Translated by Dong Yue)