Hong Kong to limit number of cars from Guangdong, Macau entering via mega bridge
- ‘Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles’ scheme will adopt ‘smaller scale’ launch, transport minister Lam Sai-hung says
Hong Kong will allow several hundred private cars from mainland China and Macau to enter the city via a mega bridge starting as early as the end of the year, with the transport minister telling the Post he wanted a ‘smaller-scale’ launch for the new border-crossing policy.
In a wide-ranging interview, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung revealed the long-awaited “Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles” scheme would have more than 1,000 automated car parking spaces located on the artificial island of the local side of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, upon the completion of the first stage of the initiative.
“We want to start it off with a smaller scale,” he said. “If demand is good, we will map out our next step of the development. I expect it will be popular.”
Lam said the scheme could debut at the end of this year or early 2025.
The scheme offers visitors from Macau and Guangdong the option of driving to Hong Kong, park on the artificial island, then take a coach to the city’s airport for overseas destinations or enter via the bridge checkpoint.
“It will save travellers a lot of time and offer them new experiences,” Lam said.
The scheme will confine vehicles to the 55km (34 mile) Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, consisting of two artificial islands in Hong Kong and on the mainland.
The parking arrangement means drivers will not be allowed to drive around Hong Kong, which will ease traffic pressure in the city.
A similar measure known as the “Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles” scheme, which allows Hong Kong motorists to drive to Guangdong, marked its first anniversary on July 1.
More than 64,000 vehicles have joined the scheme, or about one in every seven qualifying vehicles.
Requirements for the northbound scheme have recently been relaxed. For example, the permit validity permit was doubled to 60 days.
The number of vehicle inspection centres was raised to three from one, while the service hours of these sites were extended to evenings and weekends.
Since the bridge opened for traffic in 2018, more than 10 million vehicle trips in either direction had been recorded as of April.
