Many Didn't Travel Far for May Day, but Heavy Traffic Returns
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This year, China saw its first five-day May Day holiday break in 12 years. It also happened to coincide with the dropping of Beijing’s quarantine requirements for visitors and returnees, meaning that the city's residents could go even farther afield during the much-anticipated vacation.
As a result, Beijing was the fifth most departed-from city in China over the holiday. Unfortunately, however, the announcement regarding relaxed quarantine restrictions was too little too late for bigger travel plans, so the majority of Beijingers made the most of nearby destinations, with over 60 percent of travelers staying within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, according to data released by Baidu Maps.
Regardless of where they managed to escape to, returnees have since caused a spike in incoming traffic, marking the heaviest congestion since Chinese New Year. Congestion was recorded across the city from yesterday afternoon through to this morning and was particularly heavy on the Fourth Ring Road, according to the Municipal Traffic Commission. In its efforts to reboot the economy, Beijing is not yet looking to reinstate odd- and even-day license plate restrictions, lifted on May 1, which has further exacerbated the congestion, reports Beijing News.advertisementOlympic Park was one of the most visited attractions over the holiday
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Images: Beijing News, Olympic Park
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