About 8.89 million passengers are expected to pass through land, sea and air control points during the upcoming Ching Ming Festival and Easter holiday, up 4 percent on the same period last year, said the Immigration Department of Hong Kong on Sunday.

The department said 3.45 million passengers, an average of about 288,000 daily, are expected to pass through Lo Wu control point April 3 to 14.

Outbound traffic at Lo Wu control point will be heavy on April 3 and 10, with about 207,000 people leaving Hong Kong daily. About 185,000 passengers are expected to arrive at the control point on April 13.

Passenger traffic at Lok Ma Chau control point will be heavy with a forecast of about 1.42 million passengers, a daily average of 119,000.

Most of the travelers are expected to arrive from the Chinese mainland through the control point on April 13, while the busiest outbound passenger traffic will be on April 10, said the department.

-- (Xinhuanet, Apr.01, 2009)