Read More
Ringo Lee Yiu-pui, honorary life president of the Hong Kong, China Automobile Association, called on authorities to implement backup measures ahead of a planned seamless clearance pilot scheme at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) in December.
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
His remarks came after sources revealed that the scheme will allow cross-border drivers and passengers to clear immigration while remaining inside their vehicles, without presenting physical documents.
Speaking on a radio program, Lee welcomed the government's plan but cautioned that drivers and passengers may struggle to adapt during the initial phase. He emphasized that authorities should station frontline staff on-site and maintain manual inspection lanes nearby to assist travelers if issues arise.
Currently, the HZMB Hong Kong Port allows joint vehicle and passenger inspection, but drivers must roll down windows so immigration officers can inspect and verify identity documents for every occupant—a process that takes two to three minutes per car.
On the Zhuhai side, passengers must alight from vehicles for clearance, often causing delays for both passengers and vehicles.
Lee praised the move toward seamless in-vehicle clearance on the Hong Kong side. He also raised concerns over potential facial recognition failures. He urged authorities to divert vehicles to manual clearance lanes if the automated system fails to identify an occupant, rather than rejecting border passage outright.
