Hong Kong has taken the last major legal step toward opening its first fully 24-hour ‘co-located’ land border crossing. Six pieces of subsidiary legislation were published in the Government Gazette on 24 July to underpin the operation of the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area, which will come into service on 31 July. The new Huanggang facility replaces the 35-year-old Lok Ma Chau Control Point and forms the centrepiece of the Northern Metropolis development strategy. The redeveloped port sits entirely on the Shenzhen side of the border and adopts a single-building model: travellers clear both Mainland and Hong Kong immigration and customs inside one facility before continuing their journeys. To give Hong Kong authorities jurisdiction within the designated port area, the legislation establishes detention quarters for the Immigration Department, grants Hong Kong Customs the power to enforce the Cross-boundary Movement of Physical Currency & Bearer Negotiable Instruments Ordinance, and extends New Territories taxi operations to all internal roads. Mainland mobile operators are exempted from Hong Kong licensing requirements so that visitors retain seamless mobile coverage. For global mobility managers, the change promises faster clearance for cross-border commuters, business travellers and logistics drivers who previously faced back-to-back inspections. The port will operate around the clock and is expected to handle more than 200,000 passenger trips per day once fully ramped up—double the throughput of the existing Lok Ma Chau facility. Employers with staff who shuttle between Hong Kong and the Mainland will be able to schedule late-night or very early-morning departures without worrying about checkpoint curfews. Over the next week, government departments on both sides of the boundary will run joint system tests and drills. Officials have promised that electronic declaration kiosks, e-Channel biometric gates and vehicle RFID lanes will all be live on day one. Corporate travellers enrolled in Hong Kong’s frequent-visitor e-Channel can pre-register their fingerprints for seamless passage, while cross-boundary truck drivers can apply online for the new electronic vehicle permits. Legislators will table the subsidiary legislation for negative vetting, but the provisions will automatically take effect in time for the commissioning date. Businesses are advised to brief travelling employees on the new routing and to update travel policies to reflect the Huanggang Port’s 24-hour operational window.
Source: news.gov.hk
