Although the Spring Festival is still a month away, airline and ferry companies in Shenzhen are getting ready for the traditional Chinese holiday, when millions of working migrants will return home from Shenzhen.

"Airlines will introduce special holiday flights, especially for those popular destinations, such as Wuhan, Chongqing and Guiyang," said Yang Li, a manager of Tehang Air Service. She said that now is a good time to book tickets, as discounts varying from 20 to 40 percent are available for long-distance flights.

Shipping companies operating between Shenzhen and Zhuhai, and between Shenzhen and Hong Kong at Shekou Passenger Ferry Terminal will increase the frequency of trips during the period. For example, boats leaving Shenzhen for Zhuhai will depart every 15 minutes, rather than the 30 minutes it is at present.

As the number of travelers flying via Hong Kong after the launch of the Hong Kong airport check-in service has increased, more boats will be put in operation to deal with the situation.

The terms governing intercity bus fares were recently issued by the provincial pricing department. It said fares during the period from Jan. 14 to Feb. 22, 2006, could not increase by more than 55 percent, which is 10 percent lower than last year. These terms are applicable to shuttle buses running between Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Dongguan, Huizhou, Foshan and Zhongshan, while city buses, minibuses and taxis are banned from raising prices.

Editor: Donald