Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday said any changes to cross-border driving arrangements must prioritise traffic management and require careful coordination with mainland authorities.

Currently, cross-boundary private cars are only allowed to use designated border checkpoints for entry and exit.

Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference vice-chairman and former chief executive CY Leung called the arrangement unreasonable, saying such vehicles should be able to use different ports to travel in and out.

Lee told reporters the government must ensure smooth traffic flow at all checkpoints when it considers any changes.

"One consideration that we have to take into account is that if there aren't any regulations or controls, some of the ports that provide more convenience may see serious traffic congestion and the congestion may affect the urban areas," he said.

Lee said any changes would require cooperation between local and mainland authorities since cross-border control points involve traffic management on both sides.

Since 2023, some private cars and cross-boundary coaches have been permitted to use different control points, Lee noted.

The CE said members of his administration would continue to work with their mainland counterparts and study potential new arrangements that align with people's expectations.