Self-driving or traveling home by chartered vehicle has taken the lead in this year’s highway passenger traffic, becoming the preferred choice for many passengers. Statistical data from Wuhan’s Spring Festival Transport Office yesterday showed that the first wave of peak traffic during the travel season has already emerged, with this year’s highway passenger traffic growth being slower compared to previous years.
On the 12th, at the entrance of the Wuhan-Huangshi Expressway, reporters encountered Mr. Qin, a resident of Huangshi who was taking a chartered car home, along with his fellow villagers. Mr. Qin runs a small factory in Wuhan. This year, with an early holiday, he arranged for a vehicle through an official transport company to take over 30 fellow villagers from Huangshi back home together. Mr. Qin said that the cost per person came to about 60 yuan, slightly more expensive than buying tickets at the station, but the chartered trip allowed them to go straight from the factory gate to their doorstep without workers having to queue up for tickets—making it very convenient.
Data from Wuhan’s Spring Festival Transport Office showed that on the 12th, traffic volume in Wuhan started strong and remained high, with 424,050 passengers departing and 363,547 arriving, nearly 20,000 more than the previous day, showing strong momentum in both departures and arrivals. While railway and air traffic remained brisk, highway passenger traffic growth was slow.
The Spring Festival Transport Office analyzed that with a rapid increase in private cars, a considerable portion of passengers will drive their own vehicles to take family members or fellow villagers home for the holidays, which will become a major feature of this year’s travel season. Especially for medium-to-short distances within 200 kilometers—such as to places like Hanchuan, Honghu, Yingcheng, and Xiaogan—self-driving home will be a hot option. In addition, some fellow villagers opted to travel home by chartered vehicles, while a small number rented cars to go home. However, the Wuhan Transport Management Office reminded that chartered vehicles must be reviewed and approved by transport authorities, with all operational procedures in place and long-distance operating qualifications required. Passengers in need of chartered services can contact official transport groups and should not seek cheap unlicensed vehicles that may pose safety risks.
It is predicted that this wave of passenger traffic will continue until the 13th. In the week before New Year’s Eve, Wuhan will see a second peak of passenger traffic as migrant workers returning home overlap with those visiting relatives.
