Traffic Surge Expected at Land Boundary Control Points During Chung Yeung Festival, Travelers Urged to Plan Ahead

TD urges public and visitors to plan cross-boundary trips early before and after Chung Yeung Festival holiday

The Transport Department (TD) today (October 16) said that the passenger and vehicle traffic at land boundary control points (BCPs) will significantly increase before and after the Chung Yeung Festival holiday (October 16 to 19), especially amid the expected inbound peak on Monday (October 19) afternoon and evening when waiting times for public transport (PT) services will be longer. Cross-boundary travellers are urged to plan their trips early and properly, allow sufficient travelling time, avoid travelling during peak hours as far as possible and heed the latest traffic and PT information of BCPs.

Enhancing services for travel convenience

The TD has been steering local and cross-boundary public transport operators (PTOs) to strengthen their services before and after the Chung Yeung Festival holiday for the convenience of residents and visitors, including:

• The MTR Corporation Limited will enhance the train services of the East Rail Line between Admiralty and Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau Stations at different times from October 16 to 19 based on passenger demand;

• The Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link will operate additional short-haul trips between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and Futian and Shenzhenbei Stations (see details at the 12306.cn website);

• The frequency of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) shuttle bus (Gold Bus) will be increased to an average of about one minute during peak hours;

• The cross-boundary coach service will be strengthened;

• The frequency of local franchised bus B routes connecting various land BCPs will also be enhanced beyond the normal weekend level; and

• The PTOs concerned will arrange additional vehicles and manpower to meet passenger demand.

Travel during non-peak hours

It is anticipated that the waiting time for PT services, including the Gold Bus and the franchised bus B routes, may be longer. Travellers should avoid travelling during peak hours as far as possible. Passengers are advised to maintain order while queuing and heed the advice of on-site Police and staff of PTOs concerned. Passengers planning to take cross-boundary coaches are also advised to reserve their coach tickets in advance.

HZMB users travelling to Zhuhai should note that the temporary link bridge connecting the HZMB Zhuhai Port and Qinglu South Road has been closed to all traffic, and the traffic at Zhuhai Port and neighbouring roads has become very busy during holiday peak periods. They should use PT services as far as possible, plan their trips early, allow sufficient travelling time and remain patient while waiting.

Motorists of cross-boundary private cars are advised that special traffic arrangements may be implemented at Shenzhen Bay Port, subject to actual traffic conditions, before and after the Chung Yeung Festival holiday to secure smooth access for PT vehicles to the Port. Cross-boundary private cars may experience longer waiting times for crossing the Port during peak periods. Motorists should pay extra attention to variable message signs and traffic signs along the roads. In case of traffic congestion, they should remain patient and follow the instructions of on-site Police.

Information dissemination

To plan their journeys ahead, members of the public can make use of the TD's HKeMobility mobile app or website (hkemobility.gov.hk/en/traffic-information/live/cctv) to access snapshots of traffic conditions of major connecting roads to land BCPs and the inbound and outbound vehicle plazas of the HZMB Hong Kong Port. They can also check the real-time situation at the vehicle clearance plaza of Zhuhai Port through the WeChat official accounts "hzmbzhport" or "zhuhaifabu" (traffic-info.gzazhka.com:5015/#/) (Chinese only). Moreover, motorists are reminded to always comply with traffic control measures implemented by the Zhuhai authority when driving on the HZMB Main Bridge. Vehicles must not occupy the emergency lane unless instructed by the Zhuhai authority.

The public and visitors may visit the one-stop information platform on immigration clearance "Easy Boundary" (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/bwt/status.html?type=outbound) of the Security Bureau or HKeMobility for the latest information on various land BCPs more conveniently. The TD will provide information on the services and waiting times of the Gold Bus and MTR. Members of the public are advised to check the latest traffic news through radio and television broadcasts, the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk) and HKeMobility. PTOs and relevant departments of BCPs will also disseminate the latest information to passengers through public announcement systems and other channels at major stations and BCPs.

The TD's Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre operates round the clock to closely monitor the traffic conditions and PT services across various districts, BCPs and major stations, and to implement contingency measures when necessary to meet service demand.

The Transport Department. Photo source: reference image

Special traffic and transport arrangements for peak periods of passenger flow at Huanggang Port

The Transport Department (TD) said today (October 16) that special traffic and public transport arrangements will be implemented at the Huanggang Port during peak periods of passenger flow during the three-day holiday before and after the Chung Yeung Festival starting tomorrow (October 17) and in future to expedite passenger dispersal and provide convenience for the public and visitors. The public should plan their journeys early, choose suitable control points for boundary crossing based on their needs, and need not rush to use the new port.

A spokesman for the TD said, "We have formulated various traffic contingency plans jointly with relevant departments and public transport operators (PTOs). These include comprehensively increasing public transport service frequencies, enhancing passenger dispersal efficiency at major interchanges, flexibly adjusting traffic signals and implementing alternative routes, taking a multipronged approach to ensure smooth overall traffic at the Huanggang Port. Cross-boundary travellers should make use of the new feature in the HKeMobility mobile app to check interchange information of the Huanggang Port and the San Tin Public Transport Interchange (PTI) for smart travel."

Public transport arrangements

The TD has steered franchised bus, green minibus (GMB) and cross-boundary coach (CBC) operators to deploy additional standby vehicles and manpower to strengthen services to meet passenger demand. During peak hours, franchised bus service frequencies can be increased to every two to three minutes, while GMB and CBC frequencies can be raised to every three to four minutes.

Apart from the 24-hour close monitoring of traffic and transport conditions of the Huanggang Port by the TD's Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre, the TD and PTOs will also deploy additional staff for on-site monitoring at the Huanggang Port PTI, major interchanges, major bus termini and stops with higher passenger demand along routes to and from the port. They will monitor changes in passenger and traffic flows in real time to flexibly deploy resources to cater for diverse travel needs of passengers.

Of note, the TD has put up public transport overviews at the queueing areas and key locations of the San Tin PTI, enabling passengers to grasp information on franchised bus and GMB routes connecting the port and various districts at a glance. Currently, passengers at the San Tin PTI can interchange for bus services directly to seven MTR stations across three MTR lines; interchange for three bus routes to North District; or take Long Win Bus route No. A43P to the airport and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port. Queueing order on site will also be enhanced to improve dispersal efficiency.

In addition, the TD has rearranged the spatial layout of the San Tin PTI, arranging for tour coaches to pick up and drop off passengers at the locations closest to the air-conditioned waiting area, enhancing the travel experience. Information has been issued by the TD through the Travel Industry Authority and the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong to travel agencies and visitors to assist them in planning their journeys in advance and selecting suitable bus services to travel between the Huanggang Port and the San Tin PTI.

Information dissemination

A button for the Huanggang Port has been added to the TD's HKeMobility app, allowing users to conveniently check the public transport interchange overview at their fingertips, plan their journeys early and select suitable routes to and from the port. Various PTOs will also step up dissemination of information on increased frequencies of routes concerned, interchange routes or concessions for passenger convenience.

Source: AI-found images