The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) reached a significant milestone on Saturday afternoon, recording over 10 million vehicle crossings at its Zhuhai Port.
Since its inauguration in October 2018, the bridge has dramatically reduced the travel time between Guangdong Province and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, greatly enhancing convenience for residents.
At 16:05 on Saturday, a Hong Kong-registered car driven by Wong Kwok-leung became the 10 millionth vehicle to pass through the Zhuhai Port.
Wong is a beneficiary of the facilitation schemes for northbound travel from Hong Kong and Macao, which were introduced on July 1, 2023.
These schemes permit eligible private cars registered in Hong Kong and Macao to travel to Guangdong Province via the HZMB without the need to obtain regular quotas.
"The facilitation schemes for northbound travel vehicles are indeed very convenient for residents of Hong Kong and Macao. We come here twice or three times a month for shopping, and we really enjoy coming here [Guangdong]," said Wong.
Vehicle flow at the Zhuhai Port has shown remarkable growth. From 860,000 crossings in 2019, the figure surged to 1.6 million in 2022 and further exploded to 3.26 million in 2023, averaging over 8,900 crossings per day.
This increase aligns with the easing of border restrictions and the implementation of facilitation schemes to encourage northbound travel from Hong Kong and Macao.
Since the start of this year, the border inspection station at the bridge has handled an average of 69,000 inbound and outbound travelers per day, an increase of 56 percent over the previous year, with a monthly growth rate of 11 percent.
"The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Zhuhai Port is the sole designated port for vehicles from Macao and Hong Kong traveling north. With small cars being granted free passage via the HZMB during the coming Labor Day holiday, we anticipate a significant uptick in travel enthusiasm among residents from both special administrative regions," said Bao Haiyang, deputy director of the border inspection at the HZMB border inspection station.