Border crossing opens for truckers

An opening ceremony was held in the morning today for the latest border crossing between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, RTHK reports.
The Liantang Port/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point will officially open at 4:00pm.

Because of the coronavirus outbreak, only cargo trucks are allowed for the time being. It will be off-limits to private cars, coaches and hire cars.

The checkpoint opens from 7:00 am until 10:00 at night.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam and a number of top Hong Kong officials attended the opening ceremony at Liantang Port in Shenzhen.

Mainland officials including a deputy head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Zhang Xiaoming, Luo Huining of the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong, and top Guangdong and Shenzhen officials were also present.

This is the seventh border crossing between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

The head of a cargo association, Stanley Chiang, pointed out that cross-border truckers can now use the checkpoint to go to eastern Guangdong cities such as Huidong and Shantou.

He said this saves valuable journey time because unlike other crossings such as Man Kam To and Sha Tau Kok, Heung Yuen Wai leads to expressways on both sides of the border.

But some have also raised concerns about the new facility.

The vice chairman of the North District Council, Dino Chan of the Democratic Party, said it could lead to overcrowding in Fanling and Sheung Shui.

He also spoke about a possible influx of mainlanders and the impact on his district. He said he doesn't like to see too many pharmacies and jewellery shops catering primarily to mainlanders.

The Liantang Port/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point has a price tag of HK$3.3 billion, which was double the initial estimate.