Han Ximin

1824295095@qq.com

HEAVY vehicle traffic is expected to begin today as residents exit the city for the Spring Festival holiday. There is potential for congestion on sections of Jihe, Longda, and Yanpai expressways, according to a municipal transport bureau report based on past trends.

Major transportation hubs in the city, including Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, Shenzhen North Railway Station, and Shenzhen Railway Station, will experience significant strain as hundreds of thousands of residents head home for family reunions.

On Tuesday alone, Shenzhen’s railway terminals facilitated the departure of 451,000 passengers returning to their hometowns, including 299,000 people departing from Shenzhen North Railway Station.

Additionally, the number of people arriving in Shenzhen for the holiday via railway doubled to 1.87 million between Jan. 26 and Tuesday compared to the same period last year.

A passenger, surnamed Yi, traveled to Shenzhen with his family to celebrate the holiday and explore the city’s attractions. “We’re looking forward to making lasting memories for the Spring Festival in Shenzhen and plan to visit tourist spots like Lianhua Hill Park and Dameisha beach, among others,” Yi said.

With the increase of holidaymakers in Shenzhen, the city’s streets and expressways are facing their biggest challenge in recent years. While the overall flow of traffic in the city is expected to be smooth, areas near tourist attractions like Lianhua Hill Park, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Wutong Mountain National Forest Park, and Shenzhen Bay Park, as well as shopping centers like Coco Park, Dongmen Business Street, and Coastal City, will experience heavy congestion.

To alleviate transportation challenges, Shenzhen North Railway Station has introduced shuttle bus services running between its eastern and western squares for travelers. The eastern square serves public transport and the western square provides parking for private cars, app-based cabs, and buses transporting passengers to the Shenzhen airport. The two squares are connected by a footbridge located to the west of the railway station.

The new shuttle bus service is expected to facilitate convenient travel for elderly passengers and those carrying heavy luggage or accompanied by babies.