Northbound vehicle trips record over 80,000 in Jan: Mable Chan

The number of travel bookings for "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles" almost doubled to over 80,000 in January compared to last year, according to Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan.

Chan noted on Wednesday that the authorities had issued approximately 144,000 closed road permits to scheme applicants by the end of March, and one in every five to six eligible vehicles had participated.

She highlighted that monthly booked trips recorded between 61,000 and 82,000 in the first quarter this year, representing a 93.3 percent increase to 81,568 in January this year compared to last year.

More than 100,000 new applications had been recorded by February of this year since the launch of the Scheme in July 2023.

The authorities have also completed vetting and approval procedures for around 96,000 private car applications, with permits issued.

The usage of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has also reached new highs, with the vehicles under the Scheme accounting for about 40 percent, Chan added.

Meanwhile, she said the government expects to announce the detailed plans and implementation arrangements for "Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles" within this year.

(Judy Cui)