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The upcoming expansion of the "Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles" scheme next month has met with an enthusiastic response, with only sporadic traffic violations recorded so far, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said.
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The transport chief highlighted that the scheme has run smoothly since its debut last year, noting that the number of applications during public holidays has consistently and significantly exceeded the daily quota.
The lottery quotas for the expansion, which will take effect on July 25, are already oversubscribed by three times. Approximately 60 percent of these new applicants come from newly added cities, including Shenzhen, Foshan, and Dongguan.
To capitalize on this influx, Chan urged the local tourism and hospitality sectors to collaborate and roll out tailored packages, such as offering more suite options to entice self-drive travelers to stay overnight and boost high-end retail and dining consumption in the city.
Addressing concerns over road congestion, Chan explained that the travel times for the Northbound and Southbound vehicle schemes are staggered, creating a "peak-shaving" effect that prevents major bottlenecks.
The government maintains a permanent monitoring mechanism to review passenger and vehicle flows at boundary checkpoints during major holidays, allowing for flexible resource deployment.
Chan is confident that Hong Kong’s checkpoints and urban road networks have ample capacity to handle the expanded traffic.
Furthermore, she noted that Guangdong vehicles have made more than 6,700 trips into Hong Kong’s urban areas since the scheme's inception, with only sporadic and isolated violations recorded.
To proactively prevent infractions, the government also plans to integrate local road safety and driving education directly into the vehicle inspection stage as the scheme expands, she added.
