I led the G19 group of the Legislative Council to visit Macao in June, as well as Hengqin district and Zhuhai in July. These trips had three main objectives: to promote further integration and cooperation among Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao; to understand the latest developments in Macao and Zhuhai; and to explore ways to accelerate the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. 

One of the key topics discussed during the visits was how to better utilize the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) to support and facilitate cooperation and exchanges among people and enterprises in the GBA. 

The HZMB, a joint venture between the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, cost a total of HK$140 billion ($17.9 billion) and was designed to prioritize freight traffic, followed by passenger traffic. 

In order to minimize the need for detours to places in eastern Guangdong such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen, it was envisaged that goods from western Guangdong could be speedily transported to Hong Kong’s container ports and the Hong Kong International Airport. 

However, because of construction delays, both the demand for and the mode of cross-border freight transport between the two locations changed significantly. It was even more unfortunate that shortly after the bridge was completed and opened to traffic in 2018, the Sino-US trade dispute and the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, resulting in much less freight traffic on the bridge than anticipated. The bridge was used so little that some people said it was extremely underutilized. 

Despite the COVID-19 outbreak having come to an end and the restoration of normal customs clearance between the two sides, the volume of freight crossing the bridge has not increased significantly. 

However, the increase in passenger traffic has shown that there is considerable room for expansion. As more and more Hong Kong, Macao and mainland residents want to conduct cross-border travel via the bridge, the growth in passenger traffic has led to the implementation of arrangements for “northbound travel for Hong Kong vehicles” and “northbound travel for Macao vehicles”, and the proposed arrangement of “Cantonese motors going south”. 

These arrangements will facilitate cross-border flow of people, integration, and the development of the GBA.

If the bridge’s toll could be lowered and the customs clearance procedures adjusted, it is very likely that the traffic volume would increase significantly, contributing to the social well-being and economic growth of Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao. 

The structure of tolls for the HZMB reflects the fact that it was designed primarily for freight traffic. Ordinary trucks traveling between Hong Kong and Zhuhai pay a one-way fee of 60 yuan ($8.20), while container vehicles pay a fee of 115 yuan. 

Fares for private cars and coaches range from 150 yuan to 300 yuan, significantly higher than the 74 yuan and 54 yuan tolls on the Guangshen and Guangzhou-Shenzhen coastal expressways respectively. Some people have suggested that the soon-to-be completed Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge could charge as little as 60-80 yuan for a one-way toll for private vehicles. In that case, the HZMB will be much less competitive than the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge unless the toll for private cars is reduced substantially.

Some are concerned that a reduction in tolls could prolong the payback period for the HZMB. However, it is clearly unrealistic to expect that the revenues from bridge tolls can cover all the bridge’s construction and maintenance costs, given the current traffic volume. 

The economic and social benefits that the bridge brings must be taken into consideration when assessing the cost-effectiveness of the project. It would be a waste if the bridge continued to be used as little as it is now.

In addition to tolls, the software and hardware facilities based on the original design, which prioritize the flow of freight over the flow of people — including the planning and design of the artificial island and port facilities, customs clearance procedures for people and vehicles, and configuration of parking areas — should be suitably modified to take account of the volumes of freight and passengers passing over the bridge. 

For example, increasing the number of parking spaces for private vehicles; moderately expanding catering, retail and tourist information services in the port; allowing visitors to check in for sightseeing on the bridge’s artificial island; and replicating the current joint boundary control system for customs clearance between Macao and Hengqin. 

There is also room for improvement in the arrangement for “northbound travel for Hong Kong vehicles”. For example, streamlining and speeding up the application and approval process, improving vehicle examination and insurance arrangements, and gradually increasing the quota. 

These adjustments can help to boost tourism and promote economic growth and social benefits by facilitating the flow of goods and people across the GBA, as well as the development of a “bridge economy”.

The author is a member of the Legislative Council (Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape functional constituency).

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.