Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan on Saturday said the daily quota for the scheme allowing drivers from Guangdong into Hong Kong had proved popular over the Lunar New Year break, nearly hitting the daily quota limit on some days.

Under the Southbound Travel Scheme, up to 100 eligible Guangdong cars can enter the SAR via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge each day and remain for up to 3 days.

Chan said 3,000 motorists had signed up since the scheme's rollout in December, with 1,700 already booking trips.

"There is a nine-day-long holiday on the mainland. During this period, 600 [applicants] have already set off," she said.

"On average, particularly during the weekend, the [daily] usage reached almost 100."

As for holiday weekdays, Chan said there had been more Guangdong drivers in Hong Kong when exhibitions and sports events were taking place.

The government has to build a strong foundation first before considering increasing the daily cap and expanding entry points to Shenzhen Bay Port, Chan said, adding that she hoped the scheme could be expanded to cover more cities on the mainland.

Chan said drivers generally complied with the law once they arrived in Hong Kong, and that there had been only a few instances in the first two weeks of the scheme's implementation of Guangdong drivers violating traffic rules.

Chan said 27,000 vehicle trips were recorded on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge on the third day of the Lunar New Year, a record high.



Edited by Robert Kemp