A key motoring body has appealed to mainland and Hong Kong authorities to expand in-vehicle inspection and immigration clearance procedures, Hong Kong’s public broadcaster RTHK reports. The goal is to dramatically cut down waiting times at border crossings during busy periods, according to the Hong Kong, China Automobile Association.
Currently, those utilising the Northbound Travel Scheme on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge are required to alight from their vehicles to complete the necessary clearance procedures.
Speaking on an RTHK radio programme, Ringo Lee, honorary life president of the association, argued that wider implementation of in-car checks could have significantly accelerated passage during the recent Easter holiday, which involved a huge volume of travellers crossing SAR lines in Hong Kong and Macao.
[See more: Macao and mainland drivers can now park at Hong Kong airport – and skip border controls]
Lee highlighted the scale of the current traffic, noting that passenger flow at the bridge surpassed 192,000, and car movements exceeded 30,000 over the first two days of the holiday. He anticipates that new record highs will be set in the future.
The technology to conduct these procedures already exists, he stated. At the Zhuhai section of the bridge, certain groups – specifically those aged 70 or above, children, and people with difficulty walking – are already cleared while remaining inside their cars. Furthermore, systems such as automatic scans, facial and fingerprint recognition, and travel permit scanning are all available.
Lee told RTHK that the technology is only being used in limited circumstances. He maintained that even when vehicle queues are long, allowing travellers to wait for checks within their cars would save them time compared to having to continually get on and off.
