100,000 Migrant Workers Ride Motorbikes Home for Spring Festival

The pressure of Spring Festival transport rush, or Chunyun, has driven some migrant workers in Guangdong to seek a different road home.

According to a report in today's Xin Kuai Bao (新快报), the number of motorbikes departing from the city of Zhaoqing (肇庆市) each day has increased from 500 to 10,000, reaching a cumulative total of 100,000 families who are choosing to ride motorbikes home rather than fight for tickets on the overcrowded Chinese rail system.

Packs of workers will ride together and are often given a police escort.

According to the report, which appears to be the work of the propaganda office of the Zhaoqing city traffic police, the city has also set up 23 rest areas along the number 321 national highway, which connects Guangzhou to Sichuan, the capital of Sichuan province. The rest areas supply those travelling home by bike with hot water, instant noodles, bread and also the services of a mechanic.

According to the report, riders who show their license can receive two packs of instant noodles, though it's not clear if they're given away for free.

According to Li Ping, a publicity spokesperson with the Zhaoqing city traffic police, "we've already handed out five or six thousand packs of instant noodles this morning, I guess that we'll need more than 10,000 for today."

According to the report, the police only escort the riders as far as the Guangdong border, after that, they're on their own.

The report also follows wide coverage of a perhaps fictional "Motorcycle Mama" (摩托妈妈) that first appeared in the The Chongqing Evening News and has been reported on the China Media Project website.

China Smack also recently posted a collection of images and online comments about the new trend.

Links and Sources
Xin Kuai Bao:十万铁骑返乡
Xinmin Daily: Image

Related Links
China Media Project: On the Perhaps Fictional "Motorcycle Mama" (摩托妈妈)
China Smack: Migrants Workers Motorcycle Home In Snow For Spring Festival