By 21:00 HKT on 2 May, Hong Kong had logged more than 1.08 million inbound and outbound passenger movements across all checkpoints, according to an evening bulletin from the Immigration Department. Of those, 256,000 were mainland visitors entering the city, with the Lo Wu and West Kowloon high-speed-rail stations handling the bulk of arrivals. Departures were almost as heavy: 537,000 people left Hong Kong on the same day, 330,000 of them local residents. Lo Wu again ranked as the busiest exit point, followed closely by Lok Ma Chau Spur Line. The figures confirm earlier estimates that 2 May would mark the outbound peak of Golden Week traffic. For employers this snapshot helps refine duty-of-care and scheduling decisions. Staff planning same-day returns should consider the 23:00 e-Channel closing time at certain secondary land ports and the likelihood of queues at Lo Wu after 20:00. Companies that must move goods requiring hand-carry should note that high-speed rail baggage carousels are running close to capacity. The Immigration Department will release aggregated five-day statistics on 6 May; analysts will parse the data for signs that cross-boundary travel has fully normalised to 2019 levels—a bellwether for expat assignment uptake.
Source: RTHK
