BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) -- China's transport sector handled 17.77 billion inter-regional trips in the first three months of this year, official data showed on Wednesday.

The figure marked a 2.2 percent increase compared to the same period in 2025, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Specifically, 16.38 billion trips were made by road, while 58.56 million were made via waterways, the ministry said.

During the first quarter, the country also recorded an increase in commercial freight transport activity, with total freight volume hitting 13.19 billion tonnes. The figure represented a 4.1 percent year-on-year rise.

Fixed-asset investment in the country's transport sector totaled 651.9 billion yuan (about 94.98 billion U.S. dollars) during the period, according to the ministry. ■