Transportation sector sees resumption of activity

Transportation enterprises and projects have resumed production and operation in an orderly manner, an official from the Ministry of Transport said on Saturday.

Wu Chungeng, director of the ministry's policy research office, said the national highway network has seen a rising traffic flow since the end of the Spring Festival travel rush on Feb 18, with the growth rate remaining at about 10 percent these days. 

The traffic volume reached 15 million vehicles on Friday, a decrease of 47.5 percent over the same period last year, but 11.78 percent higher than Thursday, he said, adding that it shows some positive change in work resumption.

During the second week of February, rail loadings continued to increase for four consecutive days and the number of ships entering and leaving ports has also increased, he said.

As of Feb 17, 36 percent of railway projects and 15 percent of civil aviation projects have resumed construction, he said.

About 15 percent of key highway and waterway investment projects with a total investment of more than 1 billion yuan ($142 million) in 21 provincial-level regions across the country have resumed construction, except for Hubei, the epicenter of the outbreak, and nine provinces and autonomous regions in northwestern and northeastern China due to weather conditions, he said.

A large-scale resumption of work is expected to begin by the end of February and early March, he added.

The ministry also conducted a survey of 11,854 highway and waterway companies and the results show that 28 percent of road transport enterprises have resumed operation with 44 percent of their personnel returned to duty, Wu said, adding that main port enterprises, the railway and civil aviation network are also operating normally.