First, shortcomings in port and channel infrastructure will be addressed. In the short term, work to widen the inbound and outbound channels of Xinhai Port and the project to improve and refurbish the Xiuying Port passenger ferry terminal will be accelerated. In the medium term, Hainan plans to speed construction of 30,000 ton ferry berths at the north and south ports of the Guangdong-Hainan Railway and increase the number of railway ferry crossings from 16 to 24 daily.

Second, shipping capacity will be raised. Four large ferries will be built in the near future, including two carrying passenger cars and two carrying trucks. These ferries are expected to be ready for service by the end of 2026. Staffing will be strengthened in order to ensure sufficient crew to operate ferries during peak transportation periods, and an investigation into the possibility of adding additional ferry crossings at Xiuying Port will be made in order to unleash the full transportation potential of Xiuying and Hai'an New Port.

Third, new transportation channels will be opened. Recently, Hainan has been working to ensure that the Zhanhai High-Speed Rail project will begin construction this year. In the medium and long-term, Hainan will study and test the feasibility of adding passenger ferry routes from Wushi and Liusha Ports in Leizhou, Zhanjiang to Jinpai Port, Lingao.

Fourth, ferry operation guidelines for new energy vehicles (NEVs) will be revised and improved. Car spacing on board ferries will be studied and optimized in order to increase the carrying capacity of ferries, increasing the maximum number of NEVs on each ferry from 18 to 20. NEV carrying capacity on newly built ferries will also be increased.

Fifth, the reservation system for vehicle crossings will be fully implemented. Vehicles must have a valid ferry crossing reservation to enter the port, and no vehicles without valid ferry crossing reservations will be allowed to enter the port.

Sixth, management of feeder transportation routes will be strengthened. Inter-province routes and inter-province chartered transport capacity will be increased during holiday peak travel periods. The number of inter-province flights will be increased, and multi-modal transport service guarantees for passengers arriving and departing Hainan will be strengthened.

Reports indicate that after this year's Spring Festival, vehicle and passenger flow has continued to surge, maintaining high levels. As of Feb. 26, a total of 967,700 vehicle arrived and departed the port, an increase of 10.6% year-on-year. This includes 502,800 vehicle departures, up 16% over last year. There were a total of 4.26 million passenger arrivals and departures, up 24.3%, including 2.276 million passenger departures from Hainan, an increase of 28.5%.