Hong Kong vehicles had made over one million cross-boundary trips via Zhuhai port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) as of Sunday, since the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles program took effect on July 1, 2023.
The program allows eligible Hong Kong private cars to travel between Hong Kong and Guangdong province via the HZMB without the need to obtain regular quotas.
The record marks a milestone in integration between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland as more Hong Kong residents travel to mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area thanks to the enhanced transport network
The record marks a milestone in integration between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland as more Hong Kong residents travel to mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area thanks to the enhanced transport network.
According to the Immigration Department, the daily number of cross-boundary trips made by Hong Kong and Macao vehicles via the Zhuhai port of HZMB hit 7,800 on average in the first half of the year, accounting for 56 percent of its total traffic volume.
More than 42,000 travelers from Hong Kong and Macao passed through Zhuhai port every day on average in the first six months, accounting for 60.9 percent of its total.
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Specifically, Hong Kong vehicles made over 110,000 cross-boundary trips to Guangdong province via the HZMB every month on average in the first half of the year. Crossings hit a record high of 130,000 in June, representing a 17- times increase from the month when the policy started.
To cater to the trend, efforts are being made to speed upcustoms clearance at the port, with the aim of enhancing one-way traffic capacity by over 50 percent within this year, from the current 950 vehicles per hour at peak times to 1,500 vehicles per hour.
Zheng Yongnian, a professor of politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), said the significant growth in the number of vehicles from Hong Kong and Macao traveling across the boundary reflects that there is a strong demand for regional collaboration and integration.
“The program will accelerate the process of economic integration in the GBA and provide a strong support for technological innovation and industrial upgrade in the region,” he said.
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Meanwhile, the newly opened Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, another cross-sea mega project in the GBA, is expected to further promote regional integration by cutting travel time between Shenzhen and Zhongshan from two hours to around 30 minutes.
According to official statistics, traffic volume on the link hit 720,000 in the first week since it opened to traffic on June 30.
