11m traveling during holidays

Some 11 million people are expected to travel in and out of Hong Kong during the upcoming Easter and Ching Ming holidays from Thursday to April 7.

After consulting with the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection, the Immigration Department estimates around 9.5 million residents and visitors will enter or leave the city through land-boundary control points.

Friday would be the peak for people leaving with around 601,000 travelers, while the inbound peak will fall on Monday with around 589,000 entering the city.

The Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau Spur Line and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge control points will be the busiest during the holidays, with about 207,000, 169,000 and 143,000 people passing daily, respectively.

To cope with the traffic, the Immigration Department said it has minimized leave for frontline officers for flexible deployment and operation of extra clearance counters and kiosks. Additional security guards will also be deployed.

It will also set up a joint command center at Lo Wu port alongside police, customs and MTR Corp for any necessary arrangements, and maintain close communication with mainland authorities to ensure a smooth flow of travelers.

Local public transport operators said they will enhance services during the holidays.

MTRC said it will provide around 300 additional train trips. Service will be enhanced on the Island Line, Tsuen Wan Line, South Island Line and Disneyland Resort Line between Friday and Monday.

To facilitate Disneyland visitors, train frequency will be increased to roughly every five minutes on the Disneyland Resort Line from 9am to 9.30am and from 6pm to 7pm during the Easter holiday.

Citybus said it will also enhance its service during Easter. Travelers at Heung Yuen Wai Port and Shenzhen Bay Port only have to wait five and seven minutes respectively during peak hours.

The bus operator's Cityflyer route A25, connecting Hong Kong International Airport with tourist spots like Tsim Sha Tsui and Kai Tak, has started providing full-day service every day.

Other busy airport bus routes such as A21 and A23 will enhance their frequencies to every eight minutes during peak hours. An additional overnight service route - NA10 - will be provided for people traveling between the airport and Hong Kong Island.

Kowloon Motor Bus said it will bolster service for border and related routes during the holiday, including routes to Futian port, Liantang port and the High-Speed Rail West Kowloon Station.

sophie.hui@singtaonewscorp.com