China News Service, April 28. Zhou Min, deputy director of the Emergency Response Office of the Ministry of Transport, said on the 28th that the "May Day" holiday in 2022 will last for five days from April 30 to May 4.
It is estimated that the national passenger volume during the holiday is 100 million, with an average of 20 million passengers per day, a decrease of about 62% compared with the same period in 2021.
On the 28th, the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council held a press conference on the situation of strictly and conscientiously grasping the epidemic prevention and control work. At the meeting, a reporter asked: "May 1st" holiday is coming, what are the characteristics of this year's holiday passenger flow?
What kind of forecasts are there for the operation of the holiday road network?
What travel advice does our transportation department have?
In this regard, Zhou Min said that the "May Day" holiday in 2022 will last for five days from April 30 to May 4.
As the holidays approach, the people's willingness to travel has increased compared with usual, the demand for leisure travel and returning home to visit relatives has increased, and the centralized mobility of personnel will further increase.
According to the forecast, the holiday passenger flow mainly presents the following three characteristics:
First, the passenger flow decreased significantly compared with last year.
It is estimated that the national passenger volume during the holiday is 100 million, with an average of 20 million passengers per day, a decrease of about 62% compared with the same period in 2021.
Second, the passenger flow presents a trend of "high at both ends and low in the middle".
It is expected that the peak of the holiday passenger flow will be concentrated on the first day, reaching 22.5 million passengers, but a decrease of about 61% from 2021.
The third is that the passenger flow is mainly based on "travel in place and nearby".
Affected by the epidemic situation and local prevention and control policies, the travel radius of the masses during the holidays will be significantly reduced compared with normal periods.
In terms of road network operation, the forecast will mainly show the following four characteristics:
First, the year-on-year traffic has dropped significantly.
It is estimated that the average daily traffic volume on national highways during the holidays will be 27 million vehicles, a year-on-year decrease of about 49%.
Second, the daily congestion has increased.
Due to the need for epidemic prevention and control, many places have set up epidemic prevention checkpoints in the squares outside the expressway toll gates, the provincial and municipal boundaries of ordinary highways, and the fact that public travel is more concentrated during festivals, so some road sections will experience short-term congestion. Or the phenomenon of many cars moving slowly.
Third, there are large regional differences.
The flow in the Yangtze River Delta region will drop significantly, while the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Chengdu-Chongqing region are expected to have relatively high flow.
Fourth, the tidal characteristics are obvious.
The tidal characteristics of "local tours, peripheral tours, and short-distance tours" centered on the regional central city will appear in public travel during the holidays.
Zhou Min said that in terms of travel, it is recommended that everyone pay attention to the following four aspects when traveling during the "May Day" period:
First, pay attention to epidemic prevention policies.
Pay close attention to the epidemic prevention and control requirements in the passing area, and strictly protect yourself.
The second is to pay attention to the weather conditions.
Keep abreast of the weather in the travel area, carefully check the technical condition of the vehicle, slow down when driving, maintain a safe distance between vehicles, and ensure travel safety.
The third is to pay attention to the congestion situation.
Know the real-time road conditions, peak hours, and easy congestion points of the route in advance, make plans in advance, and travel at different times and peaks.
The fourth is to pay attention to the no-pass policy.
This year's "May Day" holiday is from April 30 to May 4, a total of 5 days, and the toll road for small passenger vehicles with 7 seats and below is exempted from tolls.
It should be noted that the free passage of the expressway is subject to the time when the vehicle leaves the toll lane at the exit.
Therefore, I would like to remind all car owners to arrange their time reasonably. Before the free period ends, they can choose a nearby toll station and leave the expressway to avoid rushing time and avoiding speeding.