Ferry operators are planning to provide a total of 1,429 journeys between Taiwan proper and its offshore islands to meet increased travel demand during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, the Maritime and Port Bureau said yesterday.
The available number of ferry journeys on eight routes from Saturday next week to Feb. 2 is expected to meet a maximum transport capacity of 289,414 passengers, the bureau said in a news release.
Photo courtesy of the Maritime and Port Bureau
Meanwhile, a total of 396 journeys on the "small three links," which are direct ferries connecting Taiwan's Kinmen and Lienchiang counties with China's Fujian Province, are also being planned to accommodate travel needs during the nine-day holiday.
During the Jan. 25 to Feb. 2 period, should any adverse weather or other force majeure affect ferry services, operators are required to publicly announce the information through various media platforms, the bureau said, adding that it would also provide real-time updates on ferry schedules on its official Web site.
Separately yesterday, Taoyuan International Airport Corp said that flight passenger traffic is expected to peak starting on Monday next week as the Lunar New Year holiday approaches.
During the longest holiday of the year, Feb. 2 (the fifth day of the Lunar New Year and the day before work resumes) is anticipated to see the highest travel volume, with nearly 150,000 passengers, the company said in a statement.
As such, a total of 14 chartered flights and 103 extra flights would be added to serve more than 1.59 million passengers during the 11-day period from Friday next week to Feb. 3, the company said.
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