The revamped Huanggang Port handled over 130,000 trips on Saturday, kicking off its opening weekend alongside the three-day Chung Yeung Festival holiday.
These figures come as the Immigration Department recorded about 1.35 million cross-border trips across all checkpoints yesterday, with local residents making over 670,000 departures and mainland visitor arrivals topping 130,000.
The new port recorded roughly 55,000 arrivals and 74,000 departures, including 61,000 local residents departing Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, Lo Wu emerged as the busiest border crossing with over 170,000 departures, followed by the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line with more than 130,000.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on a television program yesterday that operations at the new checkpoint ran smoothly over its first weekend, with passenger traffic expected to rise gradually.
He estimated that 10,000 to 20,000 travelers had switched to the new port, leading to a 3-to-7 percent drop in traffic at nearby Lok Ma Chau and Lo Wu since its opening—a shift he described as positive.
He added that Liantang Port and Shenzhen Bay Port were unaffected because travelers using those crossings have different final destinations.
Tang stated that the new port is not intended to divert traffic from other checkpoints, but rather to boost overall capacity and improve the traveler experience, noting that each border crossing serves a distinct purpose.
He confirmed that there are no immediate plans to close other checkpoints, adding that measures are in place to enhance the overall experience across all of the city's border crossings.
