The Information Services Department of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said Sunday passenger traffic will rise notably through land, sea and air control points during the upcoming May Day holiday period.

It said in a press release there would be a 12 percent increase in the passenger flow compared to figures of last year's corresponding period.

The department forecast about 1.39 million passengers -- an average of 278,000 daily -- would pass through the Lo Wu control point which borders Shenzhen city of southern Guangdong Province on the Chinese mainland between April 30 and May 4.

The seven-day "Labor Day Golden Week Holiday" is shortened to a "Mini Golden Week" between May 1-3 on the Chinese mainland this year.

For southbound traffic, the busiest day at Lo Wu control point is expected to be May 1 when about 163,000 passengers will arrive, while on May 3 the northbound traffic will be very busy with about 170,000 people departing Hong Kong.

Lok Ma Chau control point is expected to see about 634,000 passengers passing through -- a daily average of 127,000.

It is expected that most of the travelers will arrive from the Chinese mainland via Lok Ma Chau control point on May 1, while the busiest northbound passenger traffic will fall on May 3. More travelers are expected to use Shenzhen Bay and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line control points because of their growing popularity.

To cope with the anticipated heavy traffic, HKSAR Immigration Department has suspended leave for staff working at control points and has arranged for extra officers to be posted at the airport, sea and land boundary checkpoints during the holiday period, the press release said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 28,2008)