Owners of single-plate vehicles in Hong Kong have been eligible to apply for permits to enter Guangdong Province since June 1. Those that passed examinations will be able to enter Zhuhai via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Zhuhai Port starting from July 1, benefiting around 450,000 Hong Kong motorists.

Allowing vehicles with Hong Kong and Macao single-plates to drive into Guangdong Province is a major political innovation that will accelerate the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. 

A seminar on May 31 in Zhuhai discussed how Zhuhai can better embrace the opportunities and challenges brought on by innovation in transportation, customs clearance, and services.

Vehicles line up to go through the HZMB Zhuhai Port [Photo by Li Jianshu / Zhuhai Daily]

It is predicted that the volume of vehicles crossing the boundary at HZMB Zhuhai Port will increase remarkably in July. Zhuhai has been speeding up its construction on roads and bridges connecting South Lovers Avenue and HZMB's artificial island. 

The 2.15-kilometer (1.34-mile) project starts at the east exit of Changsheng Road and ends at No 1 Beizhu Road, offering dual lanes in both directions and a sidewalk on one side. It is expected to begin construction in 2024 and will be completed in 2026, relieving nearby traffic pressure.

Zhuhai has released 51 measures in five areas to guide the establishment of a better, safer, and extended transportation network.

Traffic signs have been set up near HZMB according to the driving habits of Hong Kong and Macao motorists, allowing for safer driving in Guangdong. Special service counters have been opened to handle 12 vehicle-related services so that Hong Kong and Macao motorists can handle affairs without crossing the boundary.

Gongbei Checkpoint announced that it inspected 287,000 Macao single-plate vehicles as of May 30, with a daily average volume of 3,600.

An official from Gongbei Checkpoint noted that five innovative measures will be released to optimize the customs clearance experience for Hong Kong and Macao motorists. These will include improving vehicle registration services and applying non-invasive inspection equipment to increase inspection efficiency.

The volume of Macao single-plate vehicles crossing the boundary also saw an increase of 249 percent in February, with the current monthly growth rate coming in at around 17 percent. The official added that 44 vehicle channels at the checkpoint have undergone five rounds of optimization and 10 upgrading tests.

Starting from April 3, the HZMB Zhuhai Port has been applying automatic inspection technology instead of manual inspections, thus increasing inspection efficiency by around 30 percent. 

Ninety-two parking lots in Zhuhai have gone through system upgrades and can now recognize Hong Kong and Macao plates. Several of Zhengfang Group's parking lots have finished upgrading processes. They can be found in Haibin Park, City Balcony, and Xiangshan Lake Park. 

In addition, cross-border non-inductive payment for Hong Kong and Macao residents has been developed by Unionpay and is expected to be online in mid-June. 

The seminar also put forward that Zhuhai will continue to utilize opportunities to deepen exchanges and cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao in high-end manufacturing, modern finance, sci-tech innovation, culture, tourism, and conventions.

Zhuhai's tourism industry is also expected to welcome more Hong Kong and Macao tourists entering the city via road checkpoints. It will strive to highlight the city's regional characteristics and build a batch of popular tourist attractions to realize the high-quality development of the tourism industry.