Over 5,000 passenger trips recorded in first two hours of new Huanggang Port opening, up over 60% on usual: Chris Tang

On its first day of operation, the new Huanggang Port saw Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung and Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan visit the port in the morning to inspect operations.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung. Photo by Bastille Post

Tang stated that within the first two hours of the new port’s operation—from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.—a total of 5,170 passenger trips were recorded, representing an increase of more than 60% compared with the same period on a typical day. In terms of vehicular traffic, 953 cross-boundary vehicles passed through, up by about 30% from usual.

The new Huanggang Port. Photo by Bastille Post

Tang noted that the new Huanggang Port officially commenced 24-hour services for passengers and vehicles at 6:30 a.m. on Monday. At the same time, the original Lok Ma Chau Control Point and Huanggang Port completed their historical mission and ceased operations at 6:30 a.m., marking a new stage in cross-boundary clearance modes at relevant land boundary ports between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

The new Huanggang Port. Photo by Bastille Post

Meanwhile, the cross-boundary shuttle bus service commonly known as the “Huang Bus” also officially ended. The last Huang Bus departed at 6:15 a.m. bound for San Tin Interchange, while the final bus arriving at Lok Ma Chau port at 7:02 a.m., drawing a close to the long-running service.

Regarding clearance arrangements, the port adopts a “joint inspection, one-time clearance” model and is equipped with 5-in-1 joint inspection lanes. The relevant systems operated normally, efficiently, and stably, with no abnormalities reported. For passengers, no queuing was required on-site, and automatic channels could be used directly. For vehicles, waiting time was less than five minutes, while the single clearance procedure time was significantly reduced from about ten minutes previously to just two minutes.

In terms of on-site support, the port was staffed with sufficient personnel and service ambassadors to provide immediate assistance and guidance to travelers. The new port building’s arrival and departure halls are spacious and bright, equipped with seating, stable WiFi, and vending machines offering drinks and snacks, facilitating passengers during short waits before or after clearance.

Tang said travelers generally found the new system easy to operate with clear signage, and overall clearance time was substantially shorter than before. Passengers traveling with vehicles and drivers also reported that the “joint one-stop” clearance arrangement allowed completion of both Hong Kong and Shenzhen customs and immigration procedures in one go, resulting in a positive overall experience. Citizens also felt satisfaction with the new port building’s environment and supporting facilities, describing the arrangements as thoughtful.

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan. Photo by Bastille Post

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan pointed out that public transport services around the new Huanggang Port are provided by cross-boundary buses, minivans, and short-haul cross-boundary coaches. Various public transport modes began arriving at the port from 6:30 a.m., with service ambassadors and operators on hand to assist passengers with route identification, transfers, and crowd control.

The new Huanggang Port. Photo by Bastille Post

The public transport network covers most areas of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories, connecting to nine heavy rail stations, five MTR lines, and four bus interchanges. Among these, the Tai Lam bus interchange provides access to more than 50 franchised bus routes, offering passengers multi-tiered connection options from the port to urban areas, the New Territories, and other major transport nodes.

The new Huanggang Port. Photo by Bastille Post

As of 8 o’clock in the morning, approximately 1,200 passengers had traveled northward via public transport, while nearly 2,000 had traveled southward. These figures reflect that the public transport system had already handled a considerable volume of two-way cross-boundary passenger flows in the early stages of the new port’s opening.

Under the new arrangements, San Tin Interchange plays a crucial role in connection and shuttle services. Currently, three franchised bus routes operate from San Tin Interchange to the new Huanggang Port. Chan specifically mentioned the Huang Bus, which had completed its historical mission. To cater to “Huang Bus fans”, the number of departures today was increased from three to ten.

A public transport buffer zone near the port can accommodate about 200 vehicles, including cross-boundary buses, minivans, and taxis. This buffer zone is used for vehicle staging, emergency deployment, and peak-hour crowd dispersal. Efficient communication channels are used to dispatch vehicles, maintaining smooth traffic around the port and reducing the impact of sudden surges in passenger or vehicular flows on port operations.

The new Huanggang Port. Photo by Bastille Post

For traffic signage, the Highways Department installed 350 permanent and 150 temporary road signs, while the Transport Department added 150 directional signs at interchanges and 480 passenger information boards at various termini and major interchanges. These signs and information boards aim to strengthen wayfinding along the routes, helping passengers clearly identify paths to the port, as well as transfer points for buses, minibuses, taxis, and other transport modes.

Regarding taxi services, queuing areas for urban and New Territories taxis are available on-site, with dozens of taxis on standby in the buffer zone. Booked taxi fleets operate via dedicated service stations and display screens for passengers with prior reservations. Chan said the government will continue to monitor demand for point-to-point taxi services and improve the design of San Tin Interchange, setting up dedicated pick-up and drop-off zones for different public transport modes to enhance passenger queuing, boarding, and vehicle turnover efficiency.

Addressing demand for tour group buses, Chan noted that the authorities will maintain close communication with the tourism industry to keep track of tour group data and coordinate with bus companies to deploy backup vehicles to the San Tin Public Transport Interchange. At the same time, bus companies are required to deploy vehicles equipped with luggage racks whenever possible to serve tour groups and passengers carrying more luggage. These arrangements also complement the shuttle function of the San Tin Public Transport Interchange, supporting passenger travel to and from the new Huanggang Port.

The new Huanggang Port. Photo by Bastille Post

Asked about taxi and booked fleet arrangements at the new port, Chan explained that queuing areas for urban and New Territories taxis are available on-site, alongside dedicated service stations and display screens to support booked taxi fleet operations. The authorities will closely coordinate through the Transport Department, service ambassadors, and fleet operators, using clear display screens to manage pick-up arrangements for booked fleets and taxis, thereby shortening passenger waiting times and maintaining traffic order.

On overnight and peak period monitoring, Tang stated unequivocally that on the basis of regular operations, sufficient manpower and contingency measures will be maintained during long holidays, weekends, and peak periods coinciding with major events. The Joint Command Centre, Emergency Traffic Coordination Centre, on-site departments at the port, and the notification mechanism with the Shenzhen Port Office will jointly support real-time monitoring, information dissemination, vehicle deployment, and on-site crowd management.

The 2026 Policy Address announced that the redeveloped Huanggang Port is expected to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of this year. To further enhance the passenger experience and clearance efficiency, Huanggang Port will, under the co-location arrangement, implement the new "collaborative inspection and joint clearance" mode. The Immigration Department (ImmD) announced on October 6 that with immediate effect, eligible Hong Kong residents can enrol for the "collaborative inspection" automated channel service via the ImmD's "HK e-Channel" (formerly "Contactless e-Channel") mobile application.

Photo by Bastille Post

The redeveloped Huanggang Port is installed with 134 "collaborative inspection" automated channels and 68 traditional manual counters. Enrolled passengers using the "collaborative inspection" automated channels will only need to queue and present their identity documents once to complete immigration clearance in both Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

Photo by Bastille Post

ImmD noted that Hong Kong residents aged 7 or above who fulfill the following criteria can enrol for the "collaborative inspection" automated channel service starting from October 6:

holding a Hong Kong permanent identity card and a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (commonly known as "Home Visit Permit"), and who has registered for the Mainland's e-Channel;

holding a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card and a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (Non-Chinese Citizens), and who has registered for the Mainland's e-Channel;

holding a Hong Kong identity card and a "Home Visit Permit," and who has registered for the Mainland's e-Channel; or

holding a Hong Kong identity card and an Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao with a valid endorsement for travelling to Hong Kong.

Photo by Bastille Post

During a simulated demonstration of the "collaborative inspection" automated channel, the reporter from Bastille Post downloaded the "HK e-Channel" mobile application. The channel has three gates. At the first gate, the reporter placed the Hong Kong permanent identity card on the document reader. After entering the channel and reaching the second gate, the reporter looked at the camera and placed a finger flat on the fingerprint scanner, waiting for identity verification and completion of outbound clearance. At the third gate, after inspection was completed, the reporter passed through.

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Wong Ki, Assistant Director of Immigration (Control) of ImmD, stated that sufficient manpower has been arranged to assist. In conjunction with the co-location arrangement, overall clearance time will be significantly reduced from approximately 30 minutes to about 5 minutes. The port is expected to initially handle a peak daily throughput of 200,000 passenger trips, and this is expected to rise to 300,000 with the future development of the Northern Link Spur Line, meeting the increasingly frequent people-to-people exchanges between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. It is estimated that the new Huanggang port will see at least 100,000 daily arrivals and departures in its initial phase.

Mr. Wong Ki, Assistant Director of Immigration (Control) of ImmD, Photo by Bastille Post

Regarding the "Joint One-stop" Vehicle Lane, Ms. Chiang Yi-lee, Assistant Commissioner (Boundary and Ports) of the Customs and Excise Department, said the new Huanggang Port has 28 Five-in-One Vehicle Cooperative Inspection Channels, enabling a one-stop clearance process with a single stop and single inspection without drivers needing to alight. Drivers will provide information for five-party inspection through the "integrated information collection devices."

Ms. Chiang Yi-lee, Assistant Commissioner (Boundary and Ports) of the Customs and Excise Department, Photo by Bastille Post

Taking departure as an example, a vehicle will first stop at the "customs front kiosks" for risk assessment to determine if further inspection is required. If released, the vehicle proceeds to the "Joint One-stop" Vehicle Lane. At the first gate, Customs confirms completion of customs clearance. At the second gate, through the "integrated information collection devices," the ImmD confirms completion of document procedures while the boundary inspection confirms receipt of captured passenger data. At the third gate, the boundary inspection and Huanggang Customs confirm whether inspection is required before the vehicle finally enters Shenzhen.

Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Chiang stated that Customs has arranged sufficient manpower and estimated that the average daily flow of private cars through the new Huanggang Port will be around 8,000 trips after opening.

Photo by Bastille Post