Better planning needed for crowded border crossings
The recent Easter weekend revealed a critical challenge for Hong Kong’s border checkpoints, with the number of passengers travelling to Shenzhen on March 29 nearly double that of the previous Friday.
At Lo Wu, there was a staggering 96.8 per cent surge. While the Lok Ma Chau MTR line experienced a 109 per cent increase, passengers travelling to Lok Ma Chau by road swelled by almost 125 per cent. The relatively underused Heung Yuen Wai crossing saw a more modest 60.5 per cent increase, suggesting it could be a relief point for the Lok Ma Chau and Lo Wu crossings. Introducing free shuttle services from Fanling MTR station to Heung Yuen Wai could significantly ease crowded conditions. Shuttle buses could also take passengers bound for Lok Ma Chau to the Man Kam To checkpoint, which served fewer than 4,000 passengers on March 29.
The Immigration Department app only reports the status of each checkpoint as “normal”, “busy” or “very busy”. The government should disclose the number of passengers in real time as well as the capacity of the checkpoints so travellers can plan their trips.
Transparent and proactive communication, coupled with strategic routing adjustments based on real-time traffic and checkpoint capacity data, is essential for managing the massive volume of cross-border travel efficiently. I urge the Transport Department to form a special task force together with the MTR Corporation, bus companies and the Immigration Department to mitigate congestion and ensure the comfort and safety of all travellers during holiday seasons.