Promote Huanggang Port crossing system and improve bus parking, authorities urged

Authorities should step up promotion of the new crossing arrangements at the upgraded Huanggang Port checkpoint between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, while ensuring the site has sufficient parking for buses, a lawmaker and a transport sector veteran have said.

They issued the call a day after the government tabled the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Bill to the Legislative Council to provide the legal basis for implementing a co-location arrangement at the border crossing.

Ben Chan Han-pan, chairman of the legislature’s transport panel, said on Thursday that the bill was expected to be passed this week thanks to extra meetings, while brushing aside concerns that the bill would be rushed through without sufficient scrutiny.

“The Legislative Council has experience in handling related bills … There will be sufficient time for lawmakers to raise questions and comprehend the bill,” he told a radio show.

“During past meetings, even though we had to act quickly, we were serious and raised questions to clarify.”

He said the upgraded facility would adopt a “joint inspection” model for clearance, which allows travellers to undergo immigration procedures on both sides of the border in one go.

“When the facility opens, residents may want to know whether they have crossed the border and entered mainland China. In the future, authorities should explain the detailed arrangement clearly through promotion,” Chan said.