(New Year's news) Returning home during the Spring Festival under the epidemic: "Army" of motorcycles has become "Stray soldiers"

　　China News Service, Wuzhou, February 5th, title: Returning home during the Spring Festival under the epidemic: "Army of motorcycles" becomes "Slacker"

　　Author Jiang Xuelin Wei Jiaxiu

　　At the Spring Festival Transport Service Station at the East Exit of Wuzhou City, Guangxi, several people returning home on motorcycles were scattered in the rest area.

The non-contact food placed on one side is free for them to eat.

　　"At this time in previous years, the service area was full of vehicles, and the number of motorcycles passing through Wuzhou reached 20,000 or 30,000 every day." Deng Guoqiang, a civilian policeman from the Traffic Police Detachment Command Center of Wuzhou Public Security Bureau, who served the Spring Festival Transport for 19 years at the station, said that the Spring Festival Transport was launched this year. After that, about 100 motorcycles cross the border every day.

On January 18, 2020, at the Spring Festival Transport Service Station at the East Exit of Wuzhou City, Guangxi, motorcyclists took a rest inside the station.

On the same day, Wuzhou ushered in the peak of the "motorized army" returning home. About 3,000 motorcycles returned home through Wuzhou.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Chen Guanyan

　　"This year, the country advocates in-situ Chinese New Year. In addition, the company I work for will only be closed on February 7, so I don't plan to go back." Wu Nengzhu from Xiangjiang Village, Dali Town, Teng County, Guangxi said in an interview.

He drove a motorcycle several times and took his wife and son back home from Guangdong for the New Year.

　　"The factory subsidizes 500 yuan (RMB, the same below) for local employees during the New Year. I would not come back if my 86-year-old parents were not taken care of." Wuyangtan, Sumao Village, Guancheng Town, Pingnan County, Guangxi Villager Huang Zezhong said.

　　In 2000, 25-year-old Huang Zezhong and his wife Wei Xuehua started working in Guangdong, and thus started the journey of returning home on a motorcycle for the New Year.

Eight motorcycles have been replaced in 20 years.

　　"The tuition and miscellaneous fees for three children cost more than 100,000 yuan a year." Huang Zezhong said, the income of the couple's part-time work is almost all spent on the children's school expenses, which can save a little bit.

　　Guigang is the most populous city in Guangxi and a major exporter of labor services. Statistics show that there are about 1 million people working in Guangdong in Guigang.

The monitoring data of the traffic police department also shows that the number of motorcycles of Guigang nationality accounted for the majority of the motorcycle army returning home.

Countless migrant workers in Guigang, like Huang Zezhong, drove their motorcycles between Guangdong and Guangxi in order to make a living.

　　"With the improvement of life, some people will withdraw from the motorcycle army returning to their hometowns, but the motorcycle army will not disappear immediately. Because it is not convenient to return to the countryside after returning to the county by motor car, many people still choose to directly drive their motorcycles back home from Guangdong. "Li Ziyu, a retired veteran police officer of the Wuzhou Public Security Bureau, said in an interview with reporters.

　　Li Ziyu said that, in addition to the local Chinese New Year, the increase in the number of motor trains between Guangdong and Guangxi and the purchase of cars after the improvement of the lives of migrant workers are two key factors for the reduction of the motorcycle army.

　　In 2020, Wu Nengzhu spent 80,000 yuan down payment to buy a Honda car, ending more than a decade of cycling back home.

Liang Jinhui, who lives in Fenghe Village, Shebu Town, Guiping City, Guangxi, drove a motorcycle back home for the New Year twice. This year he bought a second-hand car for 30,000 yuan and invited colleagues and girlfriends to drive home together.

　　According to Su Duoen, Chief of the Order Management Section of the Traffic Police Detachment of the Public Security Bureau of Wuzhou City, Guangxi, the traffic police department monitors that during the Spring Festival, the number of motorcycles returning from Wuzhou to the hometown during the Spring Festival reached 250,000 at the peak and dropped to 50,000 in 2019. In 2020, it will be about 30,000, and this year’s transit motorcycles are expected to drop to 5,000.

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