The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) announced today (January 14), after deliberation and co-ordination with the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government, the decision to increase the prescribed daily one-way numbers of persons who can pass through the designated boundary control points (BCPs) from January 18 to 21 under the first-phase resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland. The total number of persons who can pass through the designated land BCPs will be increased from 50 000 to 65 000, whereas the number of persons who can pass through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (Zhuhai) (applicable to drivers and passengers of private cars and cross-boundary hire car services only) will be increased from 1 000 to 2 000. The upward adjustments seek to address people's keen demand for travelling between Hong Kong and the Mainland via these BCPs prior to the Chinese New Year.

     Upon scrutiny of the booking and operation arrangements etc related to the land BCPs and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (Zhuhai), in line with the principle of resuming normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland in a progressive and orderly manner, starting 3pm today, the prescribed daily one-way numbers of persons who can pass through the relevant BCPs from January 18 to 21 are suitably adjusted. Details are as follows:
      

	Daily one-way number of persons who can pass through designated BCP
	January 18 to 21, 2023 only	Other days under first-phase resumption of normal travel
Shenzhen Bay Control Point	15 000	10 000
Man Kam To Control Point	5 000	5 000
Lok Ma Chau Spur Line/Futian Control Point	45 000	35 000
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (Zhuhai) (applicable to drivers and passengers of private cars and cross-boundary hire car services only; no booking required for passengers of shuttle buses (Gold Buses))	2 000	1 000

 
     As per the prevailing booking arrangements, regarding travelling northbound, Hong Kong residents and foreign visitors to Hong Kong have to successfully make bookings on the HKSAR Government's online booking system (accessed via the GovHK portal (www.gov.hk)) before they can travel to the Mainland from Hong Kong via the aforesaid designated BCPs on the four days concerned. Mainland residents are not required to make any booking for returning to the Mainland.
      
     As for travelling southbound, Mainland residents have to successfully make bookings on the Shenzhen Municipal Government's online booking system before they can travel to Hong Kong from the Mainland on the four days concerned. Hong Kong residents and foreign visitors returning to Hong Kong from the Mainland are not required to make any booking.
      
     A spokesman for the HKSAR Government said, "Since the implementation of the first-phase resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland on January 8, the various BCPs have been in good operation and members of the public have been travelling between the two places smoothly. We have noticed that, as compared with other days, the demand from Hong Kong people for travelling to the Mainland via land BCPs prior to the Chinese New Year is relatively keen. According to the information of the HKSAR Government's online booking system, the time slots of January 18 to 21 have almost been fully booked overall. The remaining days of the eight-week period ahead come with generally sufficient time slots for booking to cater for people's travelling needs as observed so far.
      
     "As the Chinese New Year is around the corner, the relevant departments at the various BCPs will deploy sufficient manpower as before to ensure the resumption of normal travel in a safe, orderly and smooth manner. Across the board, we will press ahead with the resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland in a progressive, orderly and comprehensive manner. At the same time, we will maintain close liaison with the relevant Mainland authorities in monitoring and reviewing the overall implementation of the first phase. With the experience gained, we will make arrangements for any subsequent phase and announce details in due course."

Ends/Saturday, January 14, 2023
Issued at HKT 15:00

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