April 6, 2023
HONG KONG – Commuter traffic between Shenzhen and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is expected to reach a peak during the Ching Ming and Easter holidays starting from Wednesday.
Customs control points and transportation stations on both sides are gearing up for what could be the heaviest cross-boundary flow of visitors since the resumption of normal travel between the SAR and the Chinese mainland in January this year.
Shenzhen immigration authorities said on Tuesday the single-day volume handled by all Shenzhen ports during the holidays could exceed 700,000 people, with a daily average of 600,000.
The Lo Wu Control Point had received about 410,000 travelers in the first three days of this month, while about 300,000 visitors had gone through Huanggang and Futian checkpoints on Saturday and Sunday.
Shenzhen immigration authorities said on Tuesday the single-day volume handled by all Shenzhen ports during the holidays could exceed 700,000 people, with a daily average of 600,000
“We expect about 220,000 to pass through Lo Wu daily during the upcoming holidays, and the figure could hit a new record since the resumption of normal crossboundary travel”, a Lo Wu immigration official said.
The COVID-19 pandemic had prevented many Hong Kong residents from visiting their relatives and friends, or paying respects to their ancestors on the mainland during the Ching Ming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, in the past three years.
A Hong Kong resident surnamed Wong said he’ll make full use of the long holiday break to return to his hometown and stay there for several days. He entered the mainland early on Tuesday to avoid the peak travel period.
To handle the expected surge in travel to the mainland, Shenzhen control points will open up all inspection channels if necessary and arrange for children, the elderly and people in need of extra care to use special passageways.
Last weekend saw more than 1.3 million passengers passing through Hong Kong’s sea, land and air control points, according to the SAR’s Immigration Department. It expects the total number of travelers passing through Hong Kong to reach 9 million between April 1 and 10
Hong Kong itself, as a popular transit point between international destinations and the Chinese mainland, has benefited from the resumption of group tours for foreigners visiting the mainland.
Last weekend saw more than 1.3 million passengers passing through the city’s sea, land and air control points, according to the SAR’s Immigration Department. It expects the total number of travelers passing through Hong Kong to reach 9 million between April 1 and 10.
The department said leave for front-line officers has been reduced to allow for flexible deployment of manpower and the manning of extra clearance counters and kiosks.
Meanwhile, 164 trains on the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link will be running daily. The railway carried about 182,000 passengers from Saturday through Monday, and the figure could hit 120,000 on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority said on Tuesday all seven-seater and smaller vehicles will be exempt from paying toll fees today.