Security chief Chris Tang revealed that more than one hundred system, stress and emergency drills have been completed at the rebuilt Huanggang Port, positioning the key land crossing for a formal launch later this year. Speaking on 17 September, Tang said the modernised facility will introduce a one-stop “co-located clearance” arrangement whereby Hong Kong and mainland officers work side by side, cutting average processing time for travellers from 45 minutes to under 15. The port will also debut “Kou Antong 2.0”, a cloud-based dashboard that uses AI to analyse live CCTV feeds and predict queuing times at all seven road checkpoints. Users will receive colour-coded congestion alerts and suggested departure windows, helping freight operators and shuttle-bus companies spread demand across the day. A companion upgrade to the 999 emergency hotline will allow callers stranded at the border to transmit real-time audio, video and geolocation data directly to fire and ambulance dispatch. From a corporate-mobility perspective, the faster clearance and data transparency give multinationals greater certainty when scheduling cross-border meetings or shifting technical teams between Shenzhen’s manufacturing clusters and Hong Kong’s R&D hubs. Smaller exporters relying on same-day delivery of prototypes stand to benefit in particular, as customs inspections will now be sequential rather than duplicated. Officials confirmed that the popular "Go Hong Kong" mobile app—now live for pre-arrival e-Channel enrolment—will be accepted at Huanggang on day one. Together, the digital and physical upgrades underscore the SAR’s strategy of using technology to convert legacy checkpoints into seamless gateways for the wider Greater Bay Area.
Source: RTHK
