A total of 2.9 billion trips are expected to be made during the 2016 Spring Festival travel season, according to a bulletin released by government authorities on Dec. 23, 2015.

The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Transport and other relevant departments jointly issued a bulletin about the 2016 Spring Festival travel season on Dec. 13. The 2016 season will begin on Jan. 24, 2016 and end on March 3, 2016. According to predictions, a total of 2.9 billion trips are expected to be made between those dates, up 3.6 percent from last year. 

According to the bulletin, passenger flow will continue to grow during the 2016 Spring Festival; however, although the growth continues, it has been slow. Due to the frequent appearance of extreme weather events caused by El Nino and the concentrated passenger flow, the bulletin requires that all local authorities guarantee safe and smooth transportation, and provide the best possible service to passengers by analyzing relevant data.