HK gear up for Labour Day Golden Week arrivals

Various border ports will maintain regular opening hours during the Labour Day Golden Week holiday, and the cross-boundary coach operators will have an additional 40 percent ad-hoc quotas to increase service frequency. 

This comes after the government announced a series of port and transportation arrangements on Saturday (Apr 27) to improve visitors' travel experiences during the five-day holidays.

A number of departments have minimized leave for frontline staff to facilitate more flexible manpower deployment and operation of additional clearance counters and kiosks for easing passenger and vehicular flows.

The Transport Department has issued 40 percent more quotas than those of normal days to the cross-boundary coach operators to extend their services for the Lok Ma Chau - Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge shuttle bus, and relevant franchised bus routes.

The short-haul cross-boundary coach service plying between Wan Chai and Huanggang Port will add a temporary pick-up point at Connaught Road Central, near World Wide House, on April 30, May 1, May 3, May 5, and May 7 to 8 to facilitate the dispersal of cross-boundary travellers.

Police will separate the types of vehicles heading for the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Port and Shenzhen Bay Port when necessary to provide a dedicated passage for public transport vehicles.

Additionally, the Inter-departmental Joint Command Centre will be activated during the Golden Week holiday to monitor the situation at various ports.

The Immigration Department estimated that there will be around 5.9 million people entering and leaving Hong Kong throughout the Golden Week, with May 1 expecting the maximum number of tourists at around one million.