China cracks down on vehicle overloading during holiday

BEIJING -- China's traffic police will kick off a nationwide campaign to clamp down on overloading that might come with carpooling and charters amid the annual Spring Festival travel rush.

The decision comes in response to the recent rise in traffic accidents resulting from minibus charters and pooling, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said on Tuesday.

The ministry called for active coordination with transport authorities to adjust road transport lines and operations and scale up public transport capacity to help people make it home for family reunions.

Meanwhile, road patrols will be ramped up to deter traffic violations such as overloading, tired driving, and the unlawful refit of vehicles, the ministry said.

With less than two weeks to go before the Spring Festival celebrations, China has been gearing up to cope with the mass migration. The Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 12 this year, is one of the most significant occasions for family reunions and gatherings in China.

The Ministry of Transport expected the country to see around 1.7 billion passenger trips, up by more than 10 percent from 2020, during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush starting from Jan. 28.

One of the travel peaks is likely to occur around Thursday, according to the MPS.