A file photo dated Aug 18, 2022 shows the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. (PHOTO / IC)

Hong Kong is set to introduce a pilot scheme allowing private cars from Guangdong province to travel via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) to the city’s border port, the city’s transport chief revealed.

Guangdong cars will be barred from entering the city’s downtown in the first phase which begins next year.

The government is working with authorities on the Chinese mainland to discuss details of the program, such as quota, the vehicles’ reservation and registration processes

Lam Sai-hung

Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Hong Kong

In the second phase, Guangdong vehicles will be allowed to travel freely in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, but its implementation time will depend on the progress of the first phase, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said told reporters on Thursday.

In the beginning, motorists from Guangdong will be only permitted to park their cars at a parking lot on Hong Kong artificial island, which is near Hong Kong International Airport.

READ MORE: HK drivers can apply to visit Guangdong via bridge

This is expected to facilitate mainland passengers who want to board flights at HKIA or visit other attractions in Lantau Island. They can also take public transportation to other parts of the city after parking their cars.

As Guangdong vehicles will not be allowed to enter urban area initially, they would not affect local traffic, Lam stressed.

He added that the Hong Kong SAR government is building more than 1,000 parking spaces on the artificial island to host extra cars that will be brought in by the program. 

The government is working with authorities on the Chinese mainland to discuss details of the program, such as quota, the vehicles’ reservation and registration processes, Lam said, adding that the difference in driving systems and road capacity will be fully considered.

It is necessary to take into account the actual situation in Hong Kong, such as the flow of people, traffic conditions, different driving habits of two areas and road capacity, he said. The government also needs to conduct a series of studies, such as the way of coordination with mainland authorities, the reservation system, the quota, and the scope of implementation, Lam added.

Starting July 1, eligible Hong Kong vehicles are allowed to drive in Guangdong province via HZMB under the "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles" program. In the first month of the program’s implementation, around 6,900 vehicles with Hong Kong plates only traveled to the mainland. The number increased significantly to 53,000 in October, representing a nearly seven-fold growth.

READ MORE: 28% of HK drivers applying for cross-border travel miss deadline

A new cross-boundary bus route via the HZMB came into service on Nov 1, carrying passengers from Shenzhen Bay to the bridge’s Zhuhai or Macao port. The journey from Shenzhen to Zhuhai takes 75 minutes.