Vege move fails to grow on truck sector

Shenzhen has converted Wenjindu Port into a station for fresh goods cross-border trucks in order to facilitate border clearances as high vegetable prices are causing Hongkongers to see red.

However, the transportation sector said the temporary interchange venue at the crossing just over the border from Man Kam To is too small and that some 400 mainland drivers have to undergo quarantine.

Container Transportation Employees General Union chairman Chan Dik-sau said authorities should cancel the interchange arrangement and allow cross-border drivers to pick up the goods directly from the mainland.

Hong Kong vegetable prices remained high yesterday, with some wet market stalls selling choy sum at HK$30 per catty.

The government yesterday said the supply of vegetables and chilled poultry have been affected due to the redeployment of mainland goods vehicle drivers.

In a Sham Shui Po wet market, shoppers said vegetable prices had shot up 50 percent. A vegetable stall owner in a North Point wet market, Poon, said that not only were there only half as many types of vegetables as available before but also transportation fees had increased.

Under current arrangements, mainland truck drivers pick up the perishables and pass them to Hong Kong truck drivers at the interchange venue. However, after several mainland drivers were found to be infected with Covid-19 on Friday, the venue's operations were affected due to disinfection measures, leading to a shortfall of fresh goods in the city.

Compounding the woes were people hoarding groceries out of fears of a regional lockdown, prompting Consumer Council chairman Paul Lam Ting-kwok to urge shoppers not to panic buy as the mainland has assured food supplies will be adequate.