Taipei: The Lunar New Year holiday commenced with mostly smooth traffic conditions on Taiwan’s roads, with only minor congestion reported in select areas, as per the Highway Bureau. Anticipation builds for a heavier flow of traffic on Sunday as the holiday progresses.

According to Focus Taiwan, the first day of the February 14-22 holiday saw normal traffic flow, with some bottlenecks occurring on Provincial Highway No. 2 between Zhuwei and Hongshulin in New Taipei’s Tamsui District. Brief congestion was also noted on Provincial Highway No. 65 at its connection to National Freeway No. 3 at the Tucheng Interchange, and at the Wugu Interchange on National Freeway No. 1.

The Highway Bureau anticipates increased traffic on Sunday, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve, as families begin to gather. Potential bottlenecks are expected on the southbound and eastbound links that connect provincial highways with national freeways. To assist drivers, the bureau recommends using its Happiness Highway mobile app, which provides traffic updates and route maps. The app primarily offers information in Chinese, but an English-language interface is available.

In preparation for the holiday rush, the Highway Bureau has collaborated with intercity bus operators to offer additional services if needed. By noon on Saturday, 5,937 bus services had transported 105,934 passengers on national freeway routes in western Taiwan, while 1,555 services had carried 27,136 passengers on eastern routes. For Sunday, advance bookings show 67.19 percent seat availability on western bus routes and 83.96 percent on eastern routes.