China’s transport networks would be tested as over 610 million passengers are expected to travel in the coming National Day holidays, which will be 6 per cent year-on-year increase.

The Ministry of Transport on Thursday said a daily average of 87 million people will travel on roads and waterways during the week-long holiday from October 1 to 7.

The ministry’s spokesman Liang Xiao’an said a majority of travellers – about 600 million – will travel by road, up 6.1 per cent compared to the same period last year.

China expressed massive migration during the national holidays and the Chinese New Year holidays as all most all the migrated workers travel to their homes.

This year toll highways will be free for drivers of cars with no more than seven seats.

China’s fast-developing express trains are likely to attract some travelling long distances in order to avoid traffic on highways, state-run Xinhua quoted Liang as saying.

He said he expects a noticeable rise in traffic in and around major tourist destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou.