Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee told reporters on 28 July that the governments of Hong Kong and Shenzhen are “working at full speed” to finish system tests, pressure drills and staff rehearsals at the completely-rebuilt Huanggang Port before its statutory commissioning date on 31 July. The border facility will operate under a 24-hour “co-location” model: travellers complete both Hong Kong and Mainland immigration, customs and quarantine formalities inside the same building on the Shenzhen side, then walk straight into either jurisdiction. Six pieces of subsidiary legislation gazetted last week established the legal framework for the Hong Kong Port Area inside the complex, expanded the permitted operating area for New Territories taxis and empowered Hong Kong Immigration, Customs and Police officers to enforce Hong Kong law on site. The new port is designed to replace the ageing Huanggang/Lok Ma Chau land crossing and serve up to 200,000 passengers a day, making it the busiest land checkpoint between the two cities. According to Lee, the current trials include end-to-end passenger clearance simulations, integrated IT-system stress tests, and real-time traffic drills covering cross-boundary coaches, goods vehicles and the newly introduced cross-border “Park & Visit” private-car scheme. Authorities are also testing way-finding, e-payment and multilingual help-desk services aimed at international business travellers. For companies with staff who commute regularly between Hong Kong and the technology hubs of Shenzhen, the co-location set-up promises to cut average clearance time from 45 minutes to about 15 minutes. Employers should start updating travel policies to reflect the new operating hours, taxi zones and mandatory currency-declaration rules (travellers carrying more than HK $120,000 must file a customs form). Frequent travellers may also register for the “Seamless e-Channel” automated-gate pilot that will be extended to the new port later this year, further shortening queues. If the remaining tests are completed on schedule, officials are expected to announce an exact opening date “very soon”, Lee said, adding that both sides want the travelling public to enjoy “safe, orderly and smooth” clearance well before the National Day Golden Week in October.
Source: RTHK
