Hong Kong preps extra transport for weekend crowd at new Huanggang border
Transport and Security officials announce extra buses and coordination centres to handle expected surge at new Huanggang checkpoint this weekend, with 40 extra buses for special routes and a frontline command centre from Friday noon.
Transport and Logistics Minister Mabel Chen said Saturday's mega concert at Kai Tak Sports Park would bring a significant rise in cross-border travellers at the new Huanggang checkpoint. She said the government would reserve enough vehicles and staff to handle the post-event crowd.
Chen said dozens of franchised and cross-border buses would be arranged to take concertgoers to Shenzhen Bay and the new Huanggang ports. She said 40 extra buses per day would reinforce the SP12 special bus route, and cross-border coach companies had agreed to run extra trips to both ports after the show, with at least 40 vehicles on standby for each port.
The minister said overnight capacity would be increased from 11 pm by beefing up the B13 bus service from Hong Kong Island to the new Huanggang checkpoint, and a new direct route from Central to the new Huanggang checkpoint would operate between 1 am and 4 am. For cross-border coach services from Wan Chai, Jordan, Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong to the new Huanggang checkpoint, additional vehicles would be on standby from midnight to achieve a frequency of one bus every five minutes.
Security Minister Tang Siu-fai said an emergency monitoring and coordination centre would be activated from noon on Friday to coordinate various departments. A frontline command centre would be set up at the new Huanggang checkpoint to respond to any situation inside the joint inspection building, operating until all queues of people and vehicles disperse by Monday morning. All passenger and vehicle lanes would be opened before crowds gather. Tang added that authorities had launched a crackdown on illegal cross-border unlicensed ride-hailing services over the past two days, arresting three people.
