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Railway bureaux in major cities are to add extra trains to the May Day holiday timetable in a move to cope with the surging amount of tourists expected.

Sources with the Ministry of Railways said some 90 per cent of tickets available in major cities and tourist destinations between April 30 and May 3 are already fully booked. People who prefer to travel by train should contact local ticket agents as soon as possible, sources said.

Although the country's price regulatory department has allowed transportation departments to increase ticket prices during some holiday peaks, sources with the Beijing and Shanghai railway bureaux have confirmed that they will not increase the price of tickets during the holiday.

In the aviation sector, the air crash of Air China's Boeing 767in the Republic of Korea seems not to have cast shadows over the airline business. Most domestic airlines are still expected to carry a record number of passengers.

Sources with major domestic airlines claim they expect to fill 90 per cent of seats during the holiday period. Many airlines have also added additional flights for travelers.

The General Administration of Civil Aviation, the aviation industry's watchdog, has also ordered domestic airlines to conduct a thorough inspection of their aircraft for safety precautions following the Air China accident to guarantee safety during the holiday.

Road transportation will still carry the largest amount of passengers during the tourism peak. The Ministry of Communications has sent inspection teams to some tourist cities this month to inspect the overload problem.

Buses, which overload passengers or overcharge, will be prevented from travelling and its local administrators -- local communication bureaux -- will also be punished if they refuse to follow the safety rules, the ministry said.

The ministry has also ordered its provincial bureaux to set up hotlines for any passenger wishing to make a complaint. Road passengers are encouraged to complain if they encounter any problems within the transportation industry.

Tourists that encounter problems with transport should also complain to local tourism departments during the travelling peak. Complaints will be responded to within 24 hours.