Cross border trips via Baktu Port surge nearly 80 percent in Q1

Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Rayda) news: Baktu Port recorded over 51,500 cross border trips and more than 24,200 vehicles in the first quarter of this year, according to the Baktu Exit-Entry Border Inspection Station.

The figures represent increases of 78.39 percent and 49.88 percent respectively compared with the same period last year, highlighting the port's growing role as a transportation hub.

Outbound travelers queue orderly along the inspection channel in the passenger inspection hall of Baktu Port in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Dao Daotuna)

On the morning of April 27, the passenger inspection hall at Baktu Port was bustling with activity.

Outbound passengers lined up orderly along the inspection channels. Border inspection officers guided them and completed verification processes smoothly. Each passenger spent only about ten minutes from waiting to clearing customs.

Many tourists carrying large bags entered the hall with some anxiety but quickly relaxed.

"We came to Tacheng from Shenyang in northeast China's Liaoning Province for a trip, and realized we were very close to Kazakhstan. So we decided on a whim to go out and have a look," said tourist Ye Jianbin.

He told the reporter that before departure, he worried that port procedures might be complicated and that waiting could take half a day. But upon arrival, he found enough inspection channels open and the process fast. Officers even proactively helped carry his luggage.

"It really warmed my heart," he said.

On the freight channel side, traffic was dense but there was no congestion.

To handle the growing volume of trucks, the inspection station, together with customs and other authorities, introduced a one time inspection and one time release model.

Multiple inspection agencies conduct information verification and vehicle checks at a single stop, eliminating the need for repeated stops.

Li Qiang, a driver who has run cross border transport for many years, spoke highly of the changes.

"There are noticeably more trucks on the road this year than before, but the port has become even smoother," he said.

"With joint inspections, things are efficient and not troublesome. We save on fuel, and the fresh vegetables we carry hardly lose any weight. They arrive in good condition, the shippers are happy, and we earn more too."

As cross border tourism, business travel and family visits continue to heat up, daily passenger traffic at Baktu Port has exceeded 1,000 on several occasions.

Both passenger and vehicle volumes have hit record highs for this time of year.

To cope with the rising pressure, the border inspection station has implemented a seven day, 12 hour per day duty schedule. It analyzes and forecasts passenger and vehicle flows in advance. Passenger and cargo inspection officers provide dynamic mutual support and stagger peak hour flows.

The station also maintains real time communication with passenger transport companies, positions backup forces in advance, and streamlines joint inspection procedures to ensure smooth and orderly flow of both passengers and cargo through the port.

"Whether for passengers or truck drivers, the most obvious feeling now is shorter queues and faster passage," said Zhao Xingfu, an official at the Baktu Exit-Entry Border Inspection Station. "Behind this are advance planning, coordinated inspections and scientific allocation of officers, ensuring stable and smooth operations even during peak hours."

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