Official stresses regional coordination for festival traffic jams

Vice Minister of Public Security Huang Ming on Tuesday called for regional coordination to tackle traffic jams as rain and snow are expected in parts of China during the Spring Festival travel rush. At a national teleconference, Huang urged police to get prepared for traffic congestions and crack down on criminal offences such as drunk driving. The National Meteorological Center on Tuesday issued a blue alert, the lowest level of a four-degree warning system, for blizzards that will sweep through northern and eastern regions of China from Tuesday evening to Wednesday evening. Heavy snow will hit Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces, with some regions receiving up to 15 cm, the center said. The snow may disrupt travel, coming at a time when tens of millions of Chinese are heading back to work after Spring Festival, a traditional holiday for family reunion.