Motorcyclists get safe deal on wheels

Every year, more than half a million migrant workers in the Pearl River Delta, an economic hub in South China, travel home by motorcycle to neighboring provinces and regions during the Spring Festival rush. It's a way to keep costs down and beat the scarcity of train tickets.

The festival is a traditional time for family gatherings in China, but the cyclists usually have to endure long, uncomfortable journeys full of peril.

But on Feb 1, hundreds of migrant workers employed in Guangdong province stepped off a high-speed train in Guigang, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, to find their motorcycles waiting for them to make the relatively short remainder of their way home in the region.

Cargo trains transported the motorcycles days earlier from Guangdong province. The train ride from Guangzhou, capital of the province, to Guigang is about 600 kilometers. The special train was arranged by Guangzhou Railway Group to make sure the cyclists have a safe holiday.

The company arranged special trains from Guangzhou to Nanning for migrant workers for the first time during last year's Spring Festival, and this year it added the the motorcycle delivery service. The two-wheelers are important vehicles for migrant workers to get home.

Also, 218 gas stations in Guangdong and Hunan provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region will provide free fuel to 10,000 motorcyclists heading home for family reunions.

This year's Spring Festival travel rush lasts 40 days, from Jan 24 to March 3. It is estimated that 2.9 billion trips will be made during the period, with the majority of people traveling by rail and road.

(China Daily European Weekly 02/05/2016 page4)