By Cannix Yau Denise Tsang
Motorists from Guangdong province will be able to apply from November to travel to Hong Kong by car under a highly anticipated cross-border scheme, transport minister Mable Chan has said.
The Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles scheme is expected to be implemented a month earlier than originally planned.
Chan said on Wednesday that vehicles would be allowed to enter the city via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, with a daily quota of 100 applications.
鈥淚t is an important policy that will promote commuting between Hong Kong and other cities in the Greater Bay Area,鈥 the minister said.
鈥淲e will start off with the quota of 100 in an orderly and controllable manner before reviewing the experiences and increasing the quota.鈥
Under the policy, mainland Chinese drivers from Guangdong will be able to enter the city after having their licence processed and completing the relevant criteria, such as buying insurance, getting their cars inspected and applying for a single-entry permit.
The southbound drivers can park their cars at Hong Kong International Airport, where 1,800 automated parking spaces for visitors are expected to be built on an artificial island, she said.
For single-entry permits, applicants would be eligible to stay in the city for several days, provided that the driver and the vehicle licensee were the same person at the time of application, she said.
The duration of stay is pending finalisation.
The cross-border driving scheme for Guangdong vehicles has been the subject of discussion for years and was originally expected to start at the end of 2024 or earlier this year.
Authorities will require vehicles arriving in Hong Kong to comply with local safety regulations and to be covered by third-party insurance.
Commissioner for Transport Angela Lee Chung-yan said Hong Kong authorities would have information about permit holders, meaning local law enforcement could exchange information with their mainland counterparts in the event of road accidents.
To encourage more mainland drivers to take part in the scheme, the Transport Department will consider appointing some accredited centres to conduct car inspections in Guangdong.
Chan said the government would start the scheme small and set the daily quota at 100, taking reference from the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles scheme that launched two years ago.
The northbound scheme allows Hong Kong motorists to travel to Guangdong via car and started with an initial daily quota of 200 before it was raised to 500.
Steven Yiu Siu-chung, the Airport Authority鈥檚 executive director for airport operations, said the facility already handled about 500 cars parked at the site for three to four days.
Chan also addressed concerns about the scheme鈥檚 potential impact on traffic and the supply of parking spaces in the city.
She said the Transport Department was making arrangements and would share helpful information with mainland drivers.