About 6.5 million people will travel in and out of Hong Kong during the Lunar New Year holiday in 2006, up 9 percent over the same period in 2005, the Immigration Department said here Wednesday.

"Approximately 4.62 million people will pass through land boundary control points during this period, up 9.3 percent on 2005," the department said. Most people will travel between Jan. 27 and Feb. 5.

An estimated 2.87 million passengers, an average of 287,000 daily, will pass through Lo Wu control point. This represents 62 percent of the total estimated cross-boundary passenger traffic and an increase of 2.4 percent over last year.

The department estimated that the number of departing passengers at Lo Wu will peak at 195,000 on Jan. 27, while peak arrivals will be the Jan. 31 with 210,000 people returning. Highest daily traffic is expected to reach 335,000 on Jan. 31.

Passenger traffic at Lok Ma Chau control point will also be heavy with a forecast of 1.44 million passengers, a daily average of 144,000, up 24 percent over that of 2005.

The departure peak is expected to be Jan. 31, with 80,000 people departing for the Mainland. The number of arriving passengers is expected to reach a peak of 108,000 on Feb. 2.

To enhance passenger flow at land boundary control points, six more e-channels will be available at Lok Ma Chau control point. There will be 129 e-channels in operation by Jan. 27.

At the same time, a joint command center has been erected at Lo Wu control point and contingency measures have been formed to handle any untoward incidents and oversee traffic conditions.

(Xinhua News Agency January 26, 2006)