The "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles" policy is one of the important measures adopted by the central government to promote the development of Hong Kong and the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. According to data from the boundary checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, since the official implementation of the policy on July 1st, 2023, the number of Hong Kong residents driving single-plate personal vehicles going north has continued to rise. By 9:00 p.m. on March 9th, the number of Hong Kong vehicles traveling northward passing through this checkpoint has exceeded 500,000.
With the expansion of living radius and the shortening of time spent on the journey, the "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles" policy has made it more convenient for Hong Kong residents to travel between Guangdong and Hong Kong, effectively fostering the integrated development of "smooth traffic, prosperous life, and thriving economy" in the GBA. Since the policy's official implementation, the demand for appointments has remained high. According to statistics from the boundary inspection department, as of now, the number of drivers who have completed the boundary inspection registration has exceeded 48,700, and the number of registered vehicles has exceeded 48,800.
With the continuous improvement of the customs clearance environment and the reservation mechanism, self-driving has become one of the most popular and convenient cross-boundary travel methods for Hong Kong residents to enter and exit the Chinese mainland. Since the implementation of the policy, the monthly average growth rate of Hong Kong vehicles travelling northward passing through the port of Zhuhai has exceeded 58.17%. Since the beginning of this year, the monthly average number of Hong Kong vehicles traveling northward has reached 98,900. In February, the number exceeded 100,000 for the first time in a single month, with a growth rate of over 1490% compared to the first month of the policy implementation.
Driving northward has become increasingly popular, with noticeable occurrences of "weekend rush" and "holiday rush" at the ports. According to data from the boundary inspection department, during weekends and holidays this year, the average daily traffic volume of single-plate vehicles from Hong Kong reached 5,400, accounting for over 38% of the total number of small vehicles at the port. On February 13th, the fourth day of the Chinese New Year, the daily traffic volume reached 8,300 vehicles, setting a new historical record since the implementation of the policy.
To cope with the peak traffic flow of the port brought by the policy, the boundary checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge works hard to optimize diversion and guidance schemes. After establishing communication mechanisms with the Immigration Departments of Hong Kong and Macao, the checkpoint exchanges information on passenger flow in advance with them, to open enough and even additional inspection channels before working hours. To accommodate the increasing proportion of elderly people and children in customs clearance, additional consulting positions and mobile information collection points on express channels have been set up, and mobile inspection modes have been used innovatively. Besides, the initiative has been taken to extend the time for customs clearance through communication and coordination with joint inspection units at the ports. All these measures can help to maximize the efficiency of customs clearance.
Source: Yangcheng Evening News
