Chinese travelers made an estimated 235 million bus trips during the weeklong Spring Festival holiday, the Ministry of Communications said on Tuesday.

The figure represents a 3.4 percent rise from the same period last year despite the worst winter storms in half a century leading to highway congestions in many parts of the country.

The ministry expected a record 2.15 billion bus trips, or five percent more than a year earlier, for family gatherings and holidays during the 40-day road transport peak from January 23 to March 2.

Meanwhile, 6.15 million Chinese made water trips during the seven days, down three percent year-on-year.

The ministry had 120 search and rescue vessels, nine helicopters and 18 emergency rescue teams on standby for possible maritime accidents.

To ease the coal shortages caused by transport disruptions and rarely low temperatures, China's waterway system carried 8.88 million tons of coal during the holiday, up 76 percent from the same period last year.

(Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2008)