Following is the transcript of remarks at a media session by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, after attending an event at the Hong Kong International Airport this morning (December 18):
 
Reporter: About the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, can you rule out Hong Kong is happened to pay more than HK$2 billion in cost overruns?
 
Secretary for Transport and Housing: I would say that this is the final figure because that figure of our final estimate has been checked by various stages, up to the Ministry of Transport, and therefore this would be the final in terms of overall budget.
 
Reporter: In terms of the number of permits, the 7 000 car permits, how's the demand? Is there going to be more permits issued?
 
Secretary for Transport and Housing: For the 3 000 (private car) entry permits between Hong Kong and Zhuhai, the take-up rate has been very quick and there is indeed a huge demand for double-plate licence allowing Hong Kong cars going back to the Mainland. And that's why we have been liaising with the Mainland authorities to issue an additional 7 000 plates for Hong Kong vehicles to go up north.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

Ends/Monday, December 18, 2017
Issued at HKT 12:54

NNNN