(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-16 21:00

China expects a record 2.15 billion bus travellers across the country over the upcoming 40-day lunar New Year period as people flood home for the traditional Spring Festival, the country's transport authorities said.

The record number - three times as big as the entire population of Europe - represented an increase of 5 percent from the same period a year earlier, said He Jianchao, spokesman with the Ministry of Communications.

To ensure adequate transport capacity, a total of 760,000 buses would be in service nationwide during the travel rush from January 23 to March 2 this year, with another 40,000 on standby.

"Bus fares must not exceed the government-set ceilings, which will be announced to and supervised by the public," he said. "Local governments and transport authorities will crack down on price rises over the ceilings."

It is a fresh move taken by the government to ease the financial burden on millions of migrant workers and students, who work or study far from their hometowns and may return only at this time of year.

"Governments at all levels and the rail, road and air traffic sectors must do a good job in the coming peak season, with travel fares stabilized," Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan said Sunday. "These service sectors are closely linked to the people's interests."

The Ministry of Railways said last week it planned to arrange an additional 622 trains to increase the transport capacity and would not raise ticket prices, a practice adopted last year and widely applauded.

China is also providing migrant workers with round-trip tickets this year, which had previously been available to students only.

The ministry forecast that the country's railways would carry a record 178.6 million passengers, up from 156 million a year earlier. The Qinghai-Tibet railway would transport 650,000 people, up 5.9 percent.

He also said China's waterway system was expected to carry 29.5 million people, up three percent year-on-year, and some 20,000 passenger vessels would be in operation.