The "northbound travel for Macao and Hong Kong vehicles" policies are important measures to promote the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. According to the border inspection station of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Exit, since the implementation of the policies on January 1st, 2023 in Macao and July 1st, 2023 in Hong Kong, the number of vehicles entering and exiting the Chinese mainland through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Zhuhai Port exceeded 2 million by 4 a.m. on March 24th, 2024.
Photo: Nanfang Plus
Thanks to low application thresholds and convenient travel, the number of Hong Kong and Macao residents driving single-plated private cars northward continues to rise. Since the beginning of this year, the daily average clearance volume of Macao single-plated vehicles has climbed to nearly 4,000, a year-on-year increase of 27.6%. For Hong Kong, the number exceeds 3,200, which is 20.9 times higher than that in the first month since the implementation of the "northbound travel for Hong Kong vehicles" policy, with the highest single-day clearance volume of over 8,300 vehicles.
During weekends and holidays, the daily average clearance volume of Hong Kong and Macao single-plated vehicles exceeds 10,000, accounting for approximately 70% of that for passenger cars heading north. This makes Hong Kong and Macao single-plated vehicles the primary type of vehicles heading to the Chinese mainland through the Zhuhai Port.
The growing number of single-plated vehicles is driving more passenger and vehicle traffic northward at Zhuhai Port. Since the beginning of this year, the port's inbound and outbound passenger and vehicle traffic volumes have exceeded 5.58 million and 1.08 million, respectively, both of which are record highs during the same period since its opening. "Under these two policies, the daily vehicle clearance volume, in particular, has hit a record high many times. Since January 1st, 2023, it has set a new record for 21 consecutive times, with the highest single-day vehicle volume reaching 18,200, ranking first among all ports in China," said the head of the border inspection station of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Exit.
Photo: Nanfang Plus
At present, more and more Hong Kong and Macao drivers are submitting their northbound applications, and the number of drivers and vehicles that have completed the border control registration has exceeded 100,000 and 80,000 respectively. It is expected that the number of drivers and vehicles eligible to travel northward will continue to increase, thereby driving the inbound and outbound passenger and vehicle traffic.
Nowadays, more and more Hong Kong and Macao residents choose to head north for consumption and tourism, which brings more development opportunities for the tourism, logistics, retail, and other industries in the Greater Bay Area. Xiangzhou District, the main urban area of Zhuhai, connects the Chinese mainland with Hong Kong and Macao. Statistics show that Xiangzhou District saw a 57.2% increase in the total profits of the hospitality enterprises above the designated size, a 227% increase in the tourist volume, and a 396% increase in tourism revenue last year.
To cope with the high-volume traffic flow, the border inspection station of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Exit works to do the following: it optimizes the plan to distribute the traffic flow and enhances information exchange with the border control department to open additional inspection lanes in advance. It also works to upgrade the border inspection system to increase the maximum number of one-way vehicle inspections from around 400 per hour in July 2023 to 1,000 per hour this year, significantly improving vehicle clearance efficiency.
Reporter | Ge Yuting
Editor | Will, Clarice, Chen Xuan, James
