Over 100 Hong Kong cars expected to drive to mainland under new northbound travel scheme

Some 40 Hong Kong private cars drove to Guangdong province through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge on Saturday morning as the government’s northbound travel scheme commenced today. 

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said a total of 42 Hong Kong vehicles had crossed the border to the mainland as of 10 am this morning. 

Lam also said over 100 Hong Kong vehicles are expected to travel to Guangdong today under the scheme. 

Authorities have received over 4,000 applications as of late June, Lam noted, saying that the response has been overwhelming. Some 400 drivers have been issued permission certificates after completing the necessary procedures. 

Speaking at the commencement ceremony at AsiaWorld Expo, the transport chief said the traffic on the HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge was higher than recorded before the pandemic. The number of cars using both ways of the bridge reached more than 5,300 daily on average in May, marking a 130 percent jump. 

Lam stressed that the government would strive to increase the regular quota for vehicles using the bridge with the goal of boosting better use and management of the bridge. 

Lam noted that the bridge, a crucial policy for Hong Kong integrating into the Greater Bay Area development, connects not only the three regions but also people’s hearts. He expressed gratitude towards the Central Government and the Guangdong provincial government for their support. 

Ringo Lee Yiu-pui, president of the Hong Kong Automobile Association, also attended the ceremony and said the scheme would remain a milestone for the city’s automobile sector, adding that the exchanges between the three regions will become more frequent and convenient. 

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