All highways across China back to normal

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Source: CCTV.com | 02-06-2008 08:21

Rail and road transport links that were paralyzed by freezing weather in south China are starting to recover ahead of the Lunar New Year. The Ministry of Communications now says that national and provincial highways across the country are back to normal.

Rail and road transport links that were paralyzed by freezing weather in south China are starting to recover ahead of the Lunar New Year.

After heavy snow halted traffic for several days, transportation around the country is finally getting back to normal.

According to the Ministry of Communications, there are enough alternative routes available for travellers to compensate for roads that are still shut down due to the snow. And as the Beijing-Zhuhai expressway has now reopened, people no longer have to go through Guangxi or Jiangxi to reach Guangdong Province.

Weng Mengyong, Vice Minister of Ministry of Communication, said, "From the current situation, we can see that all the national and provincial highways are open for use. No cars are stuck."

With the latest news, the number of passengers on roads across the country is expected to rise dramatically from Tuesday. This is just a day ahead of the week-long national holiday for the Chinese New Year.

But authorities are still on high alert in case of further bad weather.

Weng Mengyong said, "We are keeping the emergency measures in place. Our staff members will remain there and the command center will keep working in case of another wave of bad weather."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Railways has announced that in the southern city of Guangzhou, all stranded passengers with tickets have now begun their journeys.

It also said rail links had almost returned to normal in sections where the electricity supply had been cut off. The Ministry urged all railway staff members to make further efforts during the Spring Festival to ensure smooth transport. It called for a full forecast of the passenger flow after the festival in order to make proper plans for the next wave of peak travel as people go back to work.

Editor:Zhang Ning