Anticipating a surge in cross-boundary travel during the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend (25–27 September), Hong Kong’s Transport Department has issued a special notice outlining beefed-up services and digital tools to help travellers avoid gridlock. Cross-border shuttle-bus operators for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (the “Golden Bus”) and franchised ‘B’-routes to land checkpoints have been ordered to add vehicles and staff. Still, officials warn that peak waits on 27 September afternoon could be “considerably longer” and urge passengers to pre-book tickets. New this year, real-time CCTV snapshots of the HZMB’s inbound and outbound coach plazas are available through the ‘HKeMobility’ app and website. Drivers can also view live feeds from the Zhuhai side via authorised WeChat mini-programs. The feeds complement the Security Bureau’s one-stop ‘Boundary Crossing InfoHub’, which now publishes average queuing times for private cars, shuttles and MTR intercity trains. Private motorists are cautioned that special traffic diversions may be imposed at Lok Ma Chau and Shenzhen Bay controls if congestion spikes. Variable-message signs along feeder roads will broadcast real-time advisories, and police will direct traffic on the ground. For mobility and HR teams moving staff across the border, the new data streams allow more accurate scheduling and contingency planning. The Department recommends travellers build at least one extra hour into itineraries and remain flexible on return times.
